See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Kent's cavern. The charcoal cave. A streak of black matter was found, which yielded on analysis small rough pieces of stalagmitic matter, bits of charcoal, pieces of rough friable pottery, two human wisdom teeth, animal bones, the lower jaw of a fox and the remains of rodents. Human remains may have been preserved in a cinerary urn of which the potsherds found were fragments. The cave earth yielded a small number of animal bones and 85 teeth. A heap of 600 rodent bones was found on the surface of the cave earth and nearly 800 stalagmitic bodies, like ill-shaped marbles, were found in a small recess in the wall of the southern branch with two hazel-nut shells and a piece of bone. A similar heap of about 100 marbles was found and several coprolites. One small flake of white flint was found in the southern branch in may 1872 in the first foot level of cave earth with two hyena teeth. Bones and teeth were found in the breccia in the central and southern branches, mostly of bear.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1010745: Kent's Cavern, Torquay

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX96SW/4/29

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CAVE (Palaeolithic - 698000 BC to 8001 BC (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV316687.

Kent's cavern. The charcoal cave. A streak of black matter was found, which yielded on analysis small rough pieces of stalagmitic matter, bits of charcoal, pieces of rough friable pottery, two human wisdom teeth, animal bones, the lower jaw of a fox and the remains of rodents. Human remains may have been preserved in a cinerary urn of which the potsherds found were fragments. The cave earth yielded a small number of animal bones and 85 teeth. A heap of 600 rodent bones was found on the surface of the cave earth and nearly 800 stalagmitic bodies, like ill-shaped marbles, were found in a small recess in the wall of the southern branch with two hazel-nut shells and a piece of bone. A similar heap of about 100 marbles was found and several coprolites. One small flake of white flint was found in the southern branch in may 1872 in the first foot level of cave earth with two hyena teeth. Bones and teeth were found in the breccia in the central and southern branches, mostly of bear.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV316688.

Pengelly, w. /tda/16(1884)322-329/the literature of kent's cavern, part 5.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.