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Some Early British Remains from a Mendip Cave. Author(S): L Some Early British Remains from a Mendip Cave. Author(s): L. S. Palmer Source: The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 51 (Jan. - Jun., 1921), pp. 200-216 Published by: Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2843521 Accessed: 15-04-2016 01:55 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Wiley, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland This content downloaded from 194.27.18.18 on Fri, 15 Apr 2016 01:55:10 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 200 SOME EARLY BRITISH REMAINS FROM A MENDIP CAVE. [WITH PLATES VIII-XIV.] By L. S. PALMER, M.SC., Ph.D. I.-INTRODUCT'ION. IN the spring of 1919 the University of Bristol Speleological Society commenced investigations in the caves on the northern slopes of the Mendip Hills. The work in various caves is still in progress. This paper places on record the discovery of a new cave, wbich has been called "The Keltic Cavern," and the results which have been achieved by subsequent examinations of the cave floor. II.-GEOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS. From a general inspection of the district in the neighbourhood of Burrington Coombe, Somerset, it was realized that the cliff face on the southl-west side of Mendip Lodge Hill, marked " Foxes' Holes " on Ordnance map of Somerset (Sheet XVIII, N.W.), appeared to be a position in which a cave might possibly be found. The 'position is marked " Swallet E " in Figs. 1 and 2. The three chief factors which led to this conclusion were: (1) Swallet E is a typical active swallet, very similar to Eastwater Swallet.1 A stream disappears at the foot of the cliff which is situated on the 600- feet contour line, whilst Langford Spring, on the -northern slope of Mendip Lodge Hill, is on the 200-feet contour line and about half a mile from the swallet (Fig. 1). (2) The position lies at the junction of the limestone shales and the " Z " beds of massive limestone. (3) On both sides of the site a line of depressions is apparent which have been formed by the sinking of the surface at weak points along this jinction. One of these pits has a stream flowing into it and at one place is still sinking. The present depth of this pit from the surrounding surface is about 40 feet. A closer examination of Swallet E revealed the fact that the surface of the rock at the base of the cliff is covered in places with stalactite formation which was partly covered by a long mound of earth and stones running parallel to the cliff face I Wookey Hole (H. E. Balch), p. 209. This content downloaded from 194.27.18.18 on Fri, 15 Apr 2016 01:55:10 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms L., S. 'PALmER.-Some Early British Remains from a Mendip Cave. 201 (P1. VIII, Fig. 1).- It was therefore thought probable that the mound was once the roof of a cave in which the stalactite was formed, and that at some period the roof had 0 -4 Z Li z z z -4~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I C) o Vi~~~~V -j~~~~~~~~~ VI)rr 0 U L()~~~~~~~C ~~~~J)~~~a 0~~~~ (~~~~~Z7.y)O 7" faRen in andobscured th orgia caeetac n IlobokdtewYt n futereve hihmih eit.Te rgia ln o oo anb se b0h This content downloaded from 194.27.18.18 on Fri, 15 Apr 2016 01:55:10 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 202 L. S. PALMER.-Some Early British Remains from a Mendip Cave. shadow cast by the overhanging ledge of rock in P1. VIII, Fig. 1. This conclusion has since been verified, and there is some evidence which tends to show that the falling in of this roof occurred in early historical times (see pp. 204 and 210). III.-PRELIMINARY WORK. An attempt was first made to follow the course of the stream, but the removal of 20 tons of earth and stones only led to a deep water-worn limestone rift, which became too narrow to follow. This excavation was not entirely fruitless for it enabled the dotted line on the cross-section EE (Fig. 3) to be definitely fixed. Some red deer teeth were found about a foot below the surface. Excavations were then commenced at the foot of the cliff above the present water level, and after the removal of only one ton of material a smuall hole was seen to lead into a horizontal tunnel, which when followed for 20 feet led to a steep declivity of loose stones. This was negotiated, and at about 45 feet below the surface a large cavern was reached. A new entrance has since been excavated which leads directly to the incline and thus avoids an awkward 20 feet of tunnel. The bones of a horned sheep, similar to those subsequently discovered inside the cave, were found 15 feet below the top of the mound at the point (a) in the cross-section EE. All together about 60 tons of material have been removed in the course of opening up the cave and in making the descent comparatively safe. IV.-THE CAVE. The cave presents many interesting features and is formed rather by earth movements than by water action, although the waterways which pass across the main chamber at the points A and D (Fig. 3) are typical underground courses of a limestone district. The completed survey reveals the fact that the cave is one long rift chamber 175 feet in length, with an average height of 27 feet dnd approximately 33 feet wide at the bottom-the cross-section being triangular. Recent explorations have disclosed a vertical descent of about 60 feet leading from the cave floor at L 19 (Fig. 3) to a lower and smaller chamber in which pebbles and sand indicate a less rapid descent of the water. It has not been possible so far to progress beyond this point. The interior contains the usual. interesting examples of water action. The old swallet, from which the stream has been diverted, reveals beautiful stalactite and stalagmite formations, some of which are of the erratic type seen, for example, in Swildon's Hole, a local cave described by Baker and Balch.1 Other examples of water action are seen in all the ofishoot passages, where the water has weathered the rocks to such an extent that fossils, such as Zaphrentis, Syringothyris, Michelinia, Spirifer, etc., have been left protruding and showing their internal structure with 1 Netherworld of Mendip (Baker and Balch). This content downloaded from 194.27.18.18 on Fri, 15 Apr 2016 01:55:10 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms L. S. PALMER.-Some Early British Remains from a Mendip Cave. 203 greater detail than any specimen extracted with a geological hammer. Besides water action, some interesting examples of earth movements are seen in this cavern. oc~~~~~~~4 .j~~~~~~~9 z It 0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I Reference has already been made to the roof fall which destroyed an outer cave or shelter. Other interesting examples of earth movements are seen in the fold of This content downloaded from 194.27.18.18 on Fri, 15 Apr 2016 01:55:10 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 204 L. S. PAIMER.-Some Early British Remains from a Mendip Cave. rock above the entrance (P1. VIII, Fig. 1). The apex of the roof of the cave itself consists of a right--angled fold, part of which has fallen down, forming a right- angled rock, marked "K" (Fig. 3). At another part stalactites and stalagmites had joined, forming a pillar from roof to floor. Tbe subsequent downward movement of the floor has caused the separation of the stalactites from the roof, recording in this way the motion of the underlying rock. The only other example of such an occurrence is to be seen in Swildon's Hole. Another natural record is seen where a stalactite was formed on a rock which became tilted through an angle. The stalactite continued to grow vertically. The angle between the two portions is quite well defined, thus not only giving an exact measure of the angle through which the rock moved, but indicating by, the straight- ness of each piece, and by the definiteness of the angle, that the rock movement must have taken place suddenly. Had this not been the case the angle would have been rounded and the new portion of stalactite would have been curved. It is quite probable that the violent action of the outer roof falling in caused the sudden movement here recorded. The length of stalactite that has been formed since the movement occurred indicates very roughly that the fall took place about 1,500 years ago. (See pp. 202 and 210.) On first entering the cave it is of interest to note that the air in the lower portion was slightly foul, whilst the atmosphere was very dry.
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