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Summary

Three Holes Cave is considered to be one of the 36 major Late Magdalenian sites in Britain, with evidence for two distinct periods of human activity. Excavations revealed two hearths, one above the other. The lower hearth was found to contain Creswellian flints, the upper hearth evidence for the Final Palaeolithic industry.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Dyer's Wood Caves. Caves with evidence for prehistoric occupation and burial, medieval chapel and earthworks of former quarry and remains of 19th century lime kiln

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX86NW/1/3

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAVE (Lower Palaeolithic to Post Medieval - 698000 BC to 1750 AD) + Sci.Date

Full description

Wymer, J. J., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV12439.

Finds (in pengelly cave centre buckfastleigh) were examined by s. Palmer, and a considerable amount of material from rosenfeld's excavation was identified as mesolithic, including cores, scrapers, gravers, microburins and 31 microliths (wymer).

WALKER + SUTCLIFFE, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV311915.

Three holes cave. No.7. Detailed account of stratigraphy of the cave as excavated by widger in the 19th century, from modern levels down to the palaeolithic clay bed. Among the finds were organic material, charcoal, fragments of pot and roman glass, a stone axe, a spindlewhorl, human and animal bones, coins, flints and ash layers. The hearth layer showed a mesolithic industry with c14 dating of 4450-200 b. P (walker + sutcliffe).

Rosenfeld, A., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV312064.

Excavations were carried out between 1955 and 1961. Presence of neolithic or later elements in otherwise microlithic deposits raises the question of the relationship between mesolithic and neolithic groups. It is probable that the two cultures were approximately contemporaneous in the area. This implies a relatively late date for the microlithic industry.43 flints belonging to an upper palaeolithic industry were found. A summary of the sequence of events is given with details of cycles of sedimentation and climatic changes. Appendices give details of soil and sand grain analysis and the lithic industries of the cave (rosenfeld).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV312071.

Walker, h. H. + sutcliffe, a. J. /tda/99(1967)84-86/james lyon widger, 1823-1892, and the torbryan caves.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV312072.

Rosenfeld, a. /pdas/22(1964)3-26/excavations in the torbryan caves, devonshire.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV312073.

Osa=sx86nw8.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV312074.

Anon/pps/23(1955)221/excavations at torbryan, south devon.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV312075.

Masson phillips, e. N. /tda/113(1981)162/archaeological notes ii,3 mesolithic sites in devon(appendix).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV312076.

Wymer, j. J. /gazetteer of mesolithic sites (cba res rep 20)/(1977)65.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV312077.

Bonsall, c. /gazetteers of upper palaeolithic sites/(cba res rep 20)/(1977)424.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV312078.

Mus=bm.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV312079.

Mus=bm(nh).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV312080.

Mus=buckfastleigh pengelly cave study centre.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV312081.

Des=roberts, a. /copy of letter(13/7/1989)to ncc/in parish file.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV312082.

Des=roberts, a. /excavations in the torbryan valley, devon, 1989/(1993)/in pf.

BONSALL, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV316507.

The assemblages from the excavations of 1880 and 1955-61 also examined by campbell. He identified later upper palaeolithic material in bm, bm(nh) and buckfastleigh cave centre (bonsall).

LETTER, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV35728.

Vis=4/7/1989 (roberts) a number of trenches have been cut within the cave, removing considerable areas of cave deposits and causing in one place major damage. The damage appears to have been done by unauthorised trespassers (letter).

Masson Phillips, E. N., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV5785.

Finds also included 14 cowrie shells, each with 2 perforations, and 11 smooth periwinkle shells, each with a single perforation. Holes punched rather than drilled. Presume used as an ornament. Comparison with similar finds in mendips and in scotland (masson phillips).

ROBERTS, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV69980.

Vis=-/-/1989 (roberts) evaluation and trial excavation in 1989 revealed well stratified upper palaeolithic to neolithic levels. Lower palaeolithic material from the back of the cave appears to derive from erosion of the fill of a higher level of cave system before the last interglacial. A late upper palaeolithic horizon containing creswellian tools and butchered bones was interpreted as an in site hearth of circa 12,300 bp, and is unique in the british isles. This was sealed by a further upper palaeolithic assemblage.(overlying was a mesolithic horizon containing flint assemblage, marine shell beads and animal bones. Evidence of flint-knapping identified. Several small bones were incised. Most of the fauna was burnt and appeared to have formed a trampled living surface. Assemblage appears to be later mesolithic (c 8000 bp). Overlying was a charcoal rich neolithic horizon containing pottery, flint artefacts, fragment of polished axe and burnt animal bones (deer + pig). Interpreted as redeposited hearth material. This is overlain by a red sediment also containing neolithic artefacts and presumed contemporary with the charcoal-rich level. Neither contains the hembury ware found at broken cave. The upper level produced pond tortoise - a warm climate indicator, far outside its normal distribution (roberts).

Barton, R. M. E. + Roberts, A. J., 1996, Reviewing the British Late Upper Palaeolithic, 251-257 (Article in Serial). SDV312419.

Two in situ lithic assemblages with evidence of Late Glacial activity. Deposits at the entrance were re-investigated from 1989-92 by the British Museum, discovering two Late Upper Palaeolithic hearths located one above the other 15cm apart. The lower hearth contains a Creswellian lithic assemblage including blades and end scrapers with Magdalenian retouch and characteristically rubbed ends. Associated with these are modified bones of horse, artic hare and brown bear dated to 12,190 BP.
The upper hearth contains burned fragmented bones and the tools here are typified by backed blades with curved outlines unlike those of the lower hearth. The raw material may be gravel flint and greensand chert of local origin.

Newberry, J., 2013, Lateglacial Devon, Including Recent Evidence from Broad Down, 5 (Article in Serial). SDV358048.

Three Holes Cave is considered to be one of the 36 major Late Magdalenian sites in Britain. Of the 36 sites, 7 are in Devon and 3 in Torbryan, the other two being The Old Grotto and Tornewton Cave.
Three Holes Cave has produced evidence of two distinctly different lithic industries indicating two periods of human activity; Creswellian and Final Palaeolithic. Excavations revealed two hearths, one above the other, about 15cm apart. The lower hearth was found to contain Creswellian flints including Cheddar points, end scrapers and blades and the upper hearth produced evidence of the Final Palaeolithic industry typified by curve-backed and penknife points. Modified Artic hare, horse and brown bear and unmodified red deer bone from the lower hearth produced a mean radiocarbon date of 12, 190BP. No radiocarbon dates are available from the upper hearth.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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