There are five main papers, two short Forum pieces and a Photo Feature in the latest edition of the BCRA’s Cave and Karst Science, but it begins with an extensive tribute to the late Alexander Klimchouk. Alexander Klimchouk was undeniably one of the most influential cave researchers in the world and this well-deserved appreciation of…
New findings fire up cave entry mystery
New claims as to the use of fire in Rising Star Cave in South Africa have thrown the spotlight back on the activities of the enigmatic Homo naledi. And it now it appears that there might have been an easier way for these hominins to have made their way into the cave system….
Cobalt Mine: a rare ‘time capsule’ on Alderley Edge
A cobalt mine, abandoned in the early 19th century, has been discovered at Alderley Edge in Cheshire revealing a ‘time capsule’ of personal objects and equipment the workers left behind. The shaft ran in after the unusually wet weather in 2019/2020 and was found by a warden surveying the field. The Derbyshire Caving Club then…
Cave and Karst Science Vol 48 No 2: Chalk, more chalk, dogs and graffiti.
The latest issue of Cave and Karst Science is dominated (the editors’ word!) by karst and caves within the English chalk. There are also, though papers on aspects of cave archaeology, including historic graffiti in an underground stone quarry and the excavated remains of domesticated dogs from a cave on the Gower peninsula. An informative…
Descent 281: Mayday and more!
Bored with the rain and fancy some armchair caving instead of a wet walk to get underground? Then settle down for a good read, with news, views, digs and more! Descent 281 should now have reached you by now, but if not, it’s time to head over to Wildplaces Publishing to subscribe or if you’re…
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…
Ancient seashell resonates after 18,000 years
Almost 80 years after its discovery, a large shell from the ornate Marsoulas Cave in the Pyrenees has been studied by a multidisciplinary team: it is believed to be the oldest wind instrument of its type.
Cave and Karst Science Vol 47 No 2: Biology, fractures and Palaeoenvironments
The latest issue of Cave and Karst Science kicks off with two detailed biological papers, detailing work in Meghalaya and the Caucasus. Other papers are based on work in the UK and include LiDAR survey, fracture displacement monitoring and Palaeoenvironmental studies. This issue contains six major papers. The first two are concerned with biological studies….
Descent 275 – Old discoveries and new from India to the North Yorks Moors.
Descent 275 is now with us. Yet another issue compiled during this plague year, but still packed with interesting and informative material – and there is even news of new exploration in England! Newsdesk starts with an update on how the pandemic is affecting caving in the UK and cautiously welcomes the reopening of caves…
In the news
Here we go with our latest round-up of news and views from around the world. If you see anything you think we might have missed, do drop us a line. Many thanks to Herman de Swart for his continued support sending in links! Cave Art Ancient Origins: Ancient Cave Found in Egypt with Unique Predynastic…
Bucklewell Cave, Avon Gorge, Bristol
When we at DB Towers received our copy of Robin Taviner’s Somerset Underground Volume 1, we were intrigued to learn that one site that he had been unable to visit was Bucklewell Cave in the Avon Gorge. We therefore approached Paul Warrilow, who has studied the site over many years, and asked him for an…
In the News
Here we go with our latest round-up of news and views from around the world. If you see anything you think we might have missed, do drop us a line. Many thanks to Herman de Swart for his continued support sending in links! Cave Art Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme: Atlas de la grotte…
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…
In the news …
Here we go with our latest round-up of news and views from around the world. If you see anything you think we might have missed, do drop us a line. Many thanks to Herman de Swart for sending in a large number of links! Cave Art Science et Avenir: New cave art discovered in Spain…
In the news…
In a new feature for 2020, we’re now bringing you a round-up of some of the news and views from around the world. Where multiple similar reports exist, we’ve opted for what appears to be the most complete. If you see anything you think we might have missed, do drop us a line. Cave Art…
Fish, bones, ice and carbon dioxide – more cave research from the BCRA.
Reports on large cave fish from Meghalaya, archaeological sites in Scotland and Derbyshire, ice caves in Yorkshire and carbon dioxide – historically and geologically – are amongst the features in the new edition of Cave and Karst Science. There are ten main articles in volume 46 no. 3 as well as some shorter pieces in…
Skulls, bats and MBEs – here’s the latest issue of Descent!
Descent 271 has now arrived! If a copy hasn’t reached you, it’s time to head over to Wildplaces Publishing to subscribe now or if you’re lucky enough to have a caving shop anywhere near you, call in and get one from them. As we always say, we think Descent is great, and we want…
Settle down to host historic graffiti and protection marks field meeting
Introducing guidelines and a standing recording method is one of the aims of next May’s BCRA cave archaeology field meeting. It will take place from 8th May – 10th May at Lower Winskill Farm, Settle, in the Yorkshire Dales and will include the recording of historic graffiti and other markings. Details will be announced closer to the…
Cave fish, cake and karst
The BCRA’s 30th annual science symposium took place at Keyworth,hosted by the British Geological Survey. I attended the Saturday session and was impressed by the depth and variety of scientific work being undertaken by British cavers. The morning session kicked off with a description of palaeokarst features found in the Pielkhlieng Pouk-Krem Sakwa system in…
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
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…
Cave and Karst Science Vol 46 No 1 now available
Reports on amphibians and reptiles in caves, 3-D cave mapping, and racial segregation in a South African cave are among the features in the April issue of Cave and Karst Science. There are five main articles in Volume 46, Number 1, as well as some shorter pieces in the Forum section. The first is a…
Archaeologists identify first figurative Palaeolithic cave art in the Balkans
An international team, led by an archaeologist from the University of Southampton and the University of Bordeaux, has revealed the first example of Palaeolithic figurative cave art found in the Balkan Peninsula. Dr Aitor Ruiz-Redondo worked with researchers from the universities of Cantabria (Spain), Newfoundland (Canada), Zagreb (Croatia) and the Archaeological Museum of Istria (Croatia)…
Ritual protection marks found in Creswell Crags
A large concentration of ritual protection marks have been discovered in caves in Creswell Crags, a limestone gorge on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border. Darkness Below editor Linda Wilson visited the site with researcher and archaeologist Alison Fearn and gives an account of the find. On Sunday 21st October 2018, cavers Hayley Clark and Ed Waters of…
Grab your chance, says Rising Star
In the final part of her report for Darkness Below, Rising Star Angharad Brewer Gillham looks back on her adventures underground in South Africa, and has advice for all would-be explorers – grab your chance when you can. I’m writing this on my way back to Switzerland and my day job, and a parcel of…
Going underground … The Rising Stars feel the squeeze
Angharad Brewer Gillham found herself a world away from her comfortable desk job in Switzerland when she joined the Rising Stars expedition in South Africa’s Dinaledi Chamber. Here’s her second report from the excavation.
Ritual protection in the Chaldon Quarries – health and safety in the 16th century
For the first time, curious chalk inscriptions on the walls of an ancient stone quarry in Surrey are being systematically recorded, as part of a wider research project to better understand the long and hitherto hidden history of this important source of stone for London. Many of the chalk inscriptions have been identified as ritual protection marks (RPM).
Dispatches from one of caving’s Rising Stars …
One moment Angharad Brewer Gillham was sitting behind a desk in Switzerland. The next, she’s in South Africa on the prestigious Rising Stars expedition helping to excavate the Dinaledi Chamber. Here’s her first report … There are times in your life where you find yourself wanting to question all your life choices, but you only…
How to piss off the French in one easy lesson – and why voles are important
Linda Wilson picked up some intriguing tips at the British Cave Research Association’s 29th cave science symposium as well as drinking plenty of tea … If you wanted to find out how to annoy our cross-channel neighbours, which caves you might want to avoid if spiders aren’t your thing and why you might soon be…
Book Review: The Archaeology of Darkness
By way of preface to Archaeology of the Caves of Ireland in 2012, archaeologists Marion Dowd and Robert Hensey brought together a number of specialists to discuss in conference the impact of darkness found in caves (and artificial spaces such as souterrains) on the development of human history. The results were subsequently published in this…
News: Denisova Cave Find Provides Remarkable DNA Result
The result is astonishing: Denisova 11 comes from an individual who had a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father.
Newly discovered “Tally Marks” in Church Hole, Creswell
Creswell Crags is an Site of Special Scientific Interest on the border of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. The beautiful limestone gorge cuts through an area of higher topographic relief that contains a series of horizontal caves that are perpendicular to the gorge itself. Several caves were first used by Neanderthals 50,000–60,000 years ago age followed by…
News: Chaldon Quarries, Surrey – Radiocarbon Dating Results
In January 2018, we reported that the Wealden Cave and Mine Society had been awarded the opportunity to get free radiocarbon dating work performed on archaeological samples from the Reigate area. By the end of March, the results were available, but disappointingly, two of the three samples submitted did not contain sufficient carbon to provide…
Ritual Protection Marks in Caves under the Mendips
Conservation work in 2003 in Goatchurch Cavern on the Mendips revealed some fine inscribed marks on calcite flowstone next to the Giant’s Steps. The marks resembled the letter W and aroused interest as the patina was considerably darker than the lighter exposed calcite nearby in graffiti dated 1704. We filed them in the mental compartment…
News: DNA Research Reveals More About 10,000-Year-Old Cheddar Man
DNA work carried out by researchers from the Natural History Museum (NHM) and University College London (UCL) has shed new light on Cheddar Man, a skeleton discovered 103 years ago in Gough’s Cave, Somerset. Specialists from the NHM have succeeded in extracting viable DNA from the 10,000 year-old-skeleton, a first for a British individual of…
News: Pre Columbian Cave Art in the Caribbean
New research by academics from the University of Leicester and the British Museum, working with colleagues from the British Geological Survey and Cambridge University, outlines the science behind the largest concentration of indigenous pre-Columbian rock art in the Caribbean. Exploration and surveys of around 70 cave systems — part of an interdisciplinary study of past…
News: Ogof Draenen – Update
Following recent reports of the opening of a new entrance to Ogof Draenen and the statement from the Trustees of the Pwll Dhu Cave Management Committee, additional information has been received from Cadw who have confirmed that the hole that was excavated to open a new entrance to Ogof Draenen has been dug through, and…
News: Playing with Time, An Art Installation at Wells and Mendip Museum, Somerset
Wells and Mendip Museum is hosting a stunning exhibition featuring the work of artist and film maker Sean Harris. ‘Playing with Time (Or a Concise History of Truth)’ is a stunning animated installation inspired by the museum’s cave paleontology collections. The art installation, fittingly housed in the Balch Room at the museum, explores the thinking…
News: Descent 258 Now Available
Descent 258 is now available! As ever, Newsdesk will bring you up to date with news at home and abroad. A new world depth record has been set in a cave in the Western Caucasus in Georgia. The latest volume in the hugely popular Northern Caves series is now available. Two stunning new calendars are…
News: Joint Mitnor Cave Re-Opens
After the break-in in 2015 when archaeological bones and artefacts were damaged and stolen, the site has been restored with much help from the Natural History Museum.
Ritual Cannibalism at Gough’s Cave, Cheddar
Analysis on an engraved human bone from the well-known Palaeolithic site of Gough’s Cave has shown that “ritualistic‟ cannibalism took place there.
News: New Palaeolithic Engraving Found in La Marche Cave, France
British archaeologist and researcher Dr Paul Bahn has recently discovered an engraving on the wall of the rock shelter of La Marche near Lussac-les-Châteaux in the Vienne region of France. The engraving, which appears to be the head of a bison, was found by Bahn during a visit to the rock shelter. The site, known…
News: Researchers Extract Human DNA From Cave Sediments
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, Germany have developed a new method of retrieving hominin DNA from sediments, even in the absence of skeletal remains. In comparison with the amount of human-made tools and other artefacts available, skeletal remains of ancient humans and their ancestors are comparatively scarce and where such remains do…
Cave Archaeology in North Wales – the last few years
The bone caves of north Wales have received increased attention from archaeologists in recent years. Excavations have taken place at Llanarmon Cave (Llanarmon-yn-ial) and Ffynnon Bueno Cave (Tremeirchion) by Rob Dinnis, then of the British Museum, and his team. John Blore issued his final report on his fifty years work at Lynx Cave (near Eryrys),…
Kan-i-Gut Expedition – an open invitation
Kan-i-Gut is a natural cave that has been extensively extended by miners over the centuries. The cave is located in the northern foothills of the Turkestan Range in the Batken region of south west Kyrgyzstan. The cave is being explored by the Kyrgyz based Foundation for the Preservation and Study of Caves, who…
Book Review: The Chalk Pit
Elly Griffith’s latest outing for Norfolk archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway, involves the chalk mines under Norwich, with which I have a certain amount of history even though I’ve never visited them. The combination of mining and archaeology promptly took The Chalk Pit to the top of the To Be Read pile. When a homeless woman…
“CSI London” visit UBSS Bristol
The good news is that no animals or humans have been harmed recently, well not for a couple of thousand years in anyway, it’s not really a crime scene! This research is being headed up by Dr Rhiannon Stevens from the Institute of Archaeology, University College London and Dr Sophy Charlton from the Natural History…
News: The Opening of Lascaux IV, Dordogne, France.
Lascaux IV was officially opened on 10th December 2016 by President Hollande of France, in a day of celebrations at the new Centre International de l’Art Pariétal in Montignac. The centre housing the replica cave opens its doors fully to the public on 15th December. The original cave was closed to the public for reasons…
News: Descent 252 Now Available
The latest edition of Descent is now available. Issue 252 is packed with news from around the regions at home and abroad. The four page Newsdesk spread contains such fascinating snippets as a new theory that the European cave bear might have become extinct for diet-linked reasons. A new study has shown that they were…
Haggs Brow Cave Excavations, Lower Winskill
Haggs Brow Cave Excavations, Lower Winskill Yorkshire Dales National Park. May 2016. A personal account by Vince Simmonds. Looking down the track to Lower Winskill. Introduction: Haggs Brow Cave is located on the Haggs, an area of former managed woodland or wood pasture at Lower Winskill Farm, near Settle. Haggs Brow Cave is…
News: Stunning New Discoveries in Bruniquel Cave
New dating evidence has confirmed that Neanderthal man made their way deep into caves in France and created complex structures from broken stalagmites and stalactites. Bruniquel cave in the Tarn-et-Garonne region of southern France was discovered and first explored in 1990. A challenging 30m entrance series leads to larger, well-decorated passages containing animal bones and…
Update: Still time to join cave excavations at Lower Winskill
Back in April we reported that Tom Lord was inviting people to join the upcoming excavation of Haggs Brow Cave, at Lower Winskill near Settle. Tom has just sent us more information including details of an open day for visitors so we thought it was time for a quick reminder that work starts this Friday May…
News: Tratman Award 2015
The Tratman Award, 2015 The Tratman Award has been awarded annually since 1979 to a caving-related paper-based publication in memory of E.K. Tratman, who died in 1978. It covers books, journals and articles published in a calendar year and is administered by the Ghar Parau Foundation, but judged by independent cavers; for 2015 these were…
News: An invitation to join cave excavations at Lower Winskill
Photos and article courtesy of Tom Lord The first phase of excavations at Haggs Brow Cave, Lower Winskill http://www.lowerwinskill.co.uk/ will take place from Friday 20th May to Tuesday 31st May. Haggs Brow Cave is located on the Haggs, an area of former managed woodland or wood pasture at Lower Winskill Farm, near Settle. The cave…
News: Cave Find Rewrites Irish History
A bear bone found nearly 100 years ago in a cave in Co. Clare, Ireland has provided evidence enabling archaeologist Dr Marion Dowd to re-write the prehistory of the human occupation of Ireland. Radiocarbon dating of a butchered brown bear bone, stored in a cardboard box at the National Museum of Ireland for almost 100…
March 2016 NAMHO Newsletter
In the March 2016 NAMHO newsletter, the headline story is, understandably, the closure of Kellingley Colliery, the last deep coal mine in Britain, which took place in December 2015. There is a link to Ian Castledine’s impressive photographic record immediately after the closure, at http://www.kellingley.co.uk/ Details of a forthcoming publication are described. “The Archaeology of Mining…
Book Review: The Archaeology of Caves in Ireland by Marion Dowd
Ireland has long been a popular destination for cavers the world over. But there is much more to Irish caves than simply their sporting interest. Archaeologist Marion Dowd’s book, The Archaeology of Caves in Ireland, has just won the magazine Current Archaeology’s Book of the Year award. The book tells the story of how people…
News: Remarkable 5,000 year-old silver mine discovered in Greece
A team of mining archaeologists, supervised by Prof. Dr Denis Morin of the University of Lorraine, connected with the UMR National Center for Scientific Research 5608 of Toulouse, has been investigating 5,000 year old silver mine workings in Greece. The scientists have used a drone to locate above-ground installations connected to the mining. It is…
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…
Archaeology: Cave Lion cubs found in Siberia
The BBC Earth site is reporting the discovery of a pair of mummified cave lion cubs which have emerged from thawing ice in Siberia. Uyan and Dina have been reportedly named after the riverbank where they were discovered by a team seeking mammoth tusks. The cubs are estimated to be at least 12,000 years old, although the…