Caves of southern Ireland hits the printers – and is already out of date!

Caves of southern Ireland hits the printers – and is already out of date!

The latest book on Irish caves to be published by the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society (UBSS) in conjunction with the Speleological Union of Ireland (SUI), Caves of southern Ireland has now gone to the printers and is expected to be launched this Autumn in both Ireland, at the SUI’s annual symposium, and in Bristol….

Events round-up: Hidden Earth cancelled, BCRA talks/AGM and a case of possible cannibalism in South Gloucestershire

Events round-up: Hidden Earth cancelled, BCRA talks/AGM and a case of possible cannibalism in South Gloucestershire

Covid continues to create certainty for events organisers, with some cancelled and others moving online, but there might be light at the end of the tunnel … unless it’s a caver coming the other way. Hidden Earth: the National Caving Conference The following announcement has been made by the Hidden Earth team: “We are sorry…

Now watch enterprising Gina go north!

Now watch enterprising Gina go north!

In a world first, British caver, polar explorer and climate change scientist Gina Moseley is preparing to lead an expedition to the planet’s northernmost caves in Greenland. While the expedition will explore several caves, there is one giant cave in particular that Gina is captivated by. She first found out about it in a conversation…

Using dental wear to estimate age at death – work on cave archaeology

Using dental wear to estimate age at death – work on cave archaeology

Sammy Field, from the University of Southampton, visited the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society’s collections as a PhD researcher to collect data for her thesis, ‘Re-evaluating the use of dental wear to estimate age at death of British archaeological remains.’ Sammy has kindly written a guest blog about her work in the UBSS collection. Age…

Cannibals, caves and climate change

Cannibals, caves and climate change

In 2019, The University of Bristol Spelaeological Society (UBSS), one of the oldest caving clubs in the country, celebrates 100 years of cave and archaeological exploration and research. On the 9th/10th November, to mark the occasion, the society is hosting a weekend of presentations and fieldtrips celebrating its past, present and future. UBSS member Professor…

Aveline’s Hole: A new twist in an old tale

Aveline’s Hole: A new twist in an old tale

New samples taken for DNA analysis from human bone from Aveline’s Hole by Natural History Museum researchers have thrown up surprising results. Graham Mullan reports on their findings. Aveline’s Hole, Burrington Combe, Mendip, contained the largest assemblage of Mesolithic human remains yet found anywhere in Britain. The cave was excavated in the 1920s by the…

Seek and ye shall find – the discovery of Beard’s lost passage in Bleadon Cavern

Seek and ye shall find – the discovery of Beard’s lost passage in Bleadon Cavern

A dig in Bleadon Cavern on Mendip has revealed more pieces to a mysterious puzzle … In 1833, a survey was carried out of Bleadon Cavern by John Heel but was, in all likelihood, drawn up by William Beard who had been investigating the area from 1828. This survey was first mentioned in more recent…

News: Cave Scientist Gina Moseley Receives €1.2 Million Research Prize

News: Cave Scientist Gina Moseley Receives €1.2 Million Research Prize

Dr Gina Moseley from the Innsbruck Quaternary Research Group will receive one of this year’s prestigious Austrian Science Foundation (FWF) START prizes. The START programme is an Austrian initiative to support and strengthen outstanding research projects in science and humanities. Gina, a member of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society and current Symposium Lecture Secretary…

News: Bristol Students Surveying in Co. Clare

News: Bristol Students Surveying in Co. Clare

At the beginning of the summer break of 2017, six members of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society (UBSS) travelled to County Clare on our annual Ireland expedition. Our main objective was to continue the re-surveying of the Coolagh River cave which was started last year. We also had the secondary objective of continuing survey…

News: University of Bristol Carbon-Dating Facility

News: University of Bristol Carbon-Dating Facility

In November 2015, the University of Bristol unveiled the brand new Bristol Radiocarbon Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (BRAMS). This instrument is based on one of the new generation of ultra-compact high-precision AMS instruments and will be used for 14C analysis in environmental, archaeological and palaeoenvironmental research. The term ultra-compact is relative, as the instrument weighs 4.5 metric…

News: Pen Park Hole Scheduled as Site of Special Scientific Interest

News: Pen Park Hole Scheduled as Site of Special Scientific Interest

Pen Park Hole, a spectacular hydrothermal cave beneath north Bristol, has now been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Natural England. The cave has a long and interesting history. It was first been descended in July 1669 by Captain Samuel Sturmy, a local mariner, accompanied by a miner. It was eventually…

News: Breakthrough in Tween Twins Hole, Burrington Combe, Somerset

News: Breakthrough in Tween Twins Hole, Burrington Combe, Somerset

A major breakthrough has been made in Tween Twins Hole, Burrington Combe, Somerset. Darkness Below has received the following report from the diggers: After many years of work a team of Wessex Cave Club diggers have made an interesting discovery at Tween Twins Hole in Burrington Combe, Mendip. Tween Twins, known to members of the…

News: Farleigh Down Quarry clean-up welcomed

News: Farleigh Down Quarry clean-up welcomed

The old Farleigh Down Quarry workings in Wiltshire have been the target of some serious vandalism recently, and also some controversy over what to do about it. It is therefore heartening to see members of the Devon and Cornwall Mine Explorers’ Group make the effort to restore one of the vandalised features: a square well. On…

News: Exploration progresses at Wookey Hole

News: Exploration progresses at Wookey Hole

Since the completion of the show-cave tunnel to Chamber 20 in Wookey, last year, a number of groups have been digging and exploring in various nooks and crannies that had never been properly pushed by the divers. This work has now borne its first fruits with the discovery of an overland (dry) route to Edmund’s…

News: Gazetteer of Caves, Fissures and Rock Shelters in Britain Containing Human Remains

News: Gazetteer of Caves, Fissures and Rock Shelters in Britain Containing Human Remains

Looking for information on human remains in caves? Look no further. Professor Andrew Chamberlain of the University of Manchester has compiled a gazetteer of all sites in Britain in which human remains have been found. This resource is hosted by the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society (UBSS) and can be found here. The gazetteer contains…

News: St Cuthbert’s Reopened and Water Level Warning

News: St Cuthbert’s Reopened and Water Level Warning

We reported in November that St. Cuthbert’s Swallet, on Mendip had been closed due to instability in the entrance series Happily we can now report that the necessary remedial work has taken place and that the cave has now been reopened by the BEC. However, Hannah Bennett, the BEC’s Caving Secretary notes that: “… water…

Exploration: Discovery and Survey of Upper Canada Cave

Exploration: Discovery and Survey of Upper Canada Cave

Correspondent: Nick Harding. Axbridge Caving Group have broken into the long lost Upper Canada Cave in Hutton, near Western-super-Mare. The discovery of Upper Canada Cave came about during the quest for the lost cave of Hutton visited by Alexander Catcott in the 18th century. The discovery of masses of bones helped Catcott with his book “A Treatise…