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Summary

Kent's cavern

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1010745: Kent's Cavern, Torquay

Other References/Statuses

• Torbay HER: MTO9711

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAVE (Lower Palaeolithic to Roman - 500000 BC to 409 AD)

Full description

Torbay HER record (SMR record). SDV361984.

Cave of Rodentia.

A mass of rodent bones of and agglutinated dust was fused together by calcareous matter into a bony breccia. The bones of elephant, hyena, rhinoceros and a wolf's skull were found here; and a bronze gouge was also found in deposits excavated from the stalagmitic floor.

About 1000 teeth were found in the intact cave earth. Most noteworthy were parts of bear jaws and canines, and a portion of an elephant's tusk and a small tooth. Five implements and flakes of flint and chert were also found, among them was a light grey flint, rudely oval, irregularly convex on both faces. It had undergone a considerable amount of chipping, and was reduced to an edge all round; it was probably an efficient scraper. It was found in November 1871 with five teeth of hyena, two of megaceros, one of horse, and one of rhinoceros, in the third level of cave earth.

A piece of chert of a rudely triangular pyramid shape was found in November 1871 with the teeth of hyena, horse and ox in the third foot-level of cave earth. It is uncertain whether it was rounded by man or by nature.

Pengelly, W., 1884, Transactions of the Devonshire Association, p.315-22 (Article in Serial). SDV362708.

X

Pearce, S.M., 1979, Proceedings of the Devon Archaeology Society, 37 (1979) p.139 (Article in Serial). SDV362709.

X

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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