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Summary

The broken cave. Adjacent parts of a single partly roofed rock shelter. Widger gave two numbers to this site. No.8 tunnel. Barricaded at the mouth by blocks of stone. Faces se. Contents. On top were large blocks of stone nearly touching the roof. Next black mould, jaws of goat, rabbit, and pottery fragments found. Diluvium deposit under this, three steinborts (?) found in it piled in a small recess under a ledge of rock with a pebble, pieces of human skull and bones. Under this a layer of fine red earth, in which was a quantity of coarse pottery fragments with loops at the sides and mixed with it the remains of a very young child. Under this a layer of stone slabs. Beneath this a deposit of coarse gravel, embedded in it remains of three humans, animal bones, thirteen flint implements, two rudely made stone battle axes. Burial place. No.9. Broken cavern or rock shelter, in form of crescent and surrounded by large boulders. On surface, slabs of stone. Under this, dark mould in which were jaws of goat, rabbit, wild cat, and the skull of a young deer. Next a charcoal bed in which were a large number of flint weapons and flakes, three beautifully shaped and worked arrowheads. Next layer a mass of semi-hardened stalagmite, small white flint implement expertly made, fragments of thick pottery and a few small bones found in this layer. Work-place of manufacturer, for in the centre of charcoal bed stood a block of stone having a square flat surface surrounded by many thin flint chippings. Majority of flints in charcoal bed are square at both ends, failures perhaps. Circular type of flint which may have been used as a dumb arrow for shooting small animals or birds. Arrowheads unlikely to be earlier than neolithic. No further excavation here (walker + sutcliffe).

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/1/4

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAVE (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2201 BC) + Sci.Date

Full description

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

The broken cave. Adjacent parts of a single partly roofed rock shelter. Widger gave two numbers to this site. No.8 tunnel. Barricaded at the mouth by blocks of stone. Faces se. Contents. On top were large blocks of stone nearly touching the roof. Next black mould, jaws of goat, rabbit, and pottery fragments found. Diluvium deposit under this, three steinborts (?) found in it piled in a small recess under a ledge of rock with a pebble, pieces of human skull and bones. Under this a layer of fine red earth, in which was a quantity of coarse pottery fragments with loops at the sides and mixed with it the remains of a very young child. Under this a layer of stone slabs. Beneath this a deposit of coarse gravel, embedded in it remains of three humans, animal bones, thirteen flint implements, two rudely made stone battle axes. Burial place. No.9. Broken cavern or rock shelter, in form of crescent and surrounded by large boulders. On surface, slabs of stone. Under this, dark mould in which were jaws of goat, rabbit, wild cat, and the skull of a young deer. Next a charcoal bed in which were a large number of flint weapons and flakes, three beautifully shaped and worked arrowheads. Next layer a mass of semi-hardened stalagmite, small white flint implement expertly made, fragments of thick pottery and a few small bones found in this layer. Work-place of manufacturer, for in the centre of charcoal bed stood a block of stone having a square flat surface surrounded by many thin flint chippings. Majority of flints in charcoal bed are square at both ends, failures perhaps. Circular type of flint which may have been used as a dumb arrow for shooting small animals or birds. Arrowheads unlikely to be earlier than neolithic. No further excavation here (walker + sutcliffe).

SEE SUBSHEET 10, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV311917.

A stratified horizon of romano-british material containing animal bone and 2 c pottery was discovered near the w wall. A small bronze age pot, associated with sheep bones, found in red cave earth at front of shelter seems the only evidence for bronze age activity in the valley other than the plateau rift burials (see subsheet 10), and does not appear related to other activity in the cave.

SUBSHEET 3, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV311918.

An extensive compacted neolithic horizon was found over much of the excavation area. This seems to be an occupation surface, and produced hembury ware, unfinished leaf arrowheads, flint chips and animal bones. Charcoal analysis suggests that pine was burnt at 2 locations in the cave. Underlying the neolithic horizon was a 2m sequence of deposits dating from the early holocene, containing rich microfaunal assemblages. A late upper palaeolithic horizon containing 'penknife points' in association with charred mammal bones was found towards the base of the holocene deposit. 'penknife points' are presumed distinct from the 'creswellian' industries such as found at three holes cave (subsheet 3), and the faunal assemblages also differed from that of the three holes hearth, suggesting cold + open conditions. The horizon is dated to c 1000 years later than creswellian, during a period when there is little evidence for humans elsewhere in britain.

BARROW + ROBERTS, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV311920.

An accelerator based radiocarbon date on an associated arctic hare bone places the occupation at 11380 +/- 120 years bp. The age is in agreement with the aller od dating of final palaeolithic sites in europe. Thick backed blades discovered amongst the finds (barrow + roberts).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV311921.

Walker, h. H. + sutcliffe, a. J. /tda/99(1967)86-87/james lyon widger, 1823-1892, and the torbryan caves.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV311922.

Osa=sx86nw8/plan.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV311923.

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

ROBERTS, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV69980.

Vis=-/-/1989 (roberts) evaluation and trial excavation in 1989 revealed a high proportion of in site deposits of similar age range to those in three holes cave (subsheet 3), but extensively dug away in the past.

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

Situated 20m from three holes cave and excavated from 1989-92. There is a deeply stratified layer of Late Glacial deposits with some backed blades similar to those at the three holes cave upper hearth. It has been dated to 11,380 +- 120BP from artic hare bones.

Newberry, J., 2013, Lateglacial Devon, Including Recent Evidence from Broad Down, 8 (Article in Serial). SDV358048.

Bones of steppe pika and northern vole found at Broken Cavern provide evidence for an extreme cold period circa 11,000 BP.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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