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Summary

Kent's cavern. Underhay's gallery. Human bones were found on and in the granular stalagmite: they were those of a small adult, but were not of great antiquity. There was no sign of cremation, and no indication as to how the skeleton got there. The cave earth yielded two balls of coprolite, numerous bones and 94 teeth, as well as flint and chert implements:-.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1010745: Kent's Cavern, Torquay

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX96SW/4/32

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV316719.

Kent's cavern. Underhay's gallery. Human bones were found on and in the granular stalagmite: they were those of a small adult, but were not of great antiquity. There was no sign of cremation, and no indication as to how the skeleton got there. The cave earth yielded two balls of coprolite, numerous bones and 94 teeth, as well as flint and chert implements:-a. An angular chip of drab coloured flint. It was found with the teeth of hyena and rhinoceros in the first foot level of cave earth in october 1873. B. Three small fragments of flint, two angular and the third sub-angular. They did not appear to have been artificially formed. They were found with the teeth of hyena and the bones of fox in the first foot level of cave earth in november 1873. C. A small bit of flint. It was found with the teeth of hyena, horse and bear and some bones, lying on the cave earth in the innermost part of the gallery beyond the point at which the granular stalagmite had thinned out. The breccia produced several bones, 115 teeth of bear, and the following specimens of flint and chert:-d. An irregular flint chip, somewhat rolled. It was found with the teeth of bear and some bone fragments in the second foot level in october 1873. E. A flint core. It retained a portion of the original surface, and was found with bear teeth on october 3rd, 1873, a little below d. F. A rolled flake of chert found with e. G. A flake of chert. It was embedded in the breccia, and was found with some bone fragments in the second foot level in november 1873. H. A small flake of chert. It was found with bear teeth and bone in the fourth foot level in november 1873. The breccia also yielded a piece of iron ore and umber.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV316720.

Pengelly, w. /tda/16(1884)356-360/the literature of kent's cavern, part 5.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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