Cave Hunting: Researches on the evidence of caves respecting the early inhabitants of EuropeDawkins, William Boyd
History
Cave Hunting: Researches on the evidence of caves respecting the early inhabitants of Europe
Dawkins, William Boyd
Antiquities, Prehistoric -- Europe; Caves -- Europe; Europe -- Antiquities; Prehistoric peoples -- Europe
While cutting our way inwards (Figs. 83 and 88), we found an angular
piece of flint, which had evidently been chipped by human agency, and
a water-worn fragment of a belemnite, which probably had been derived
from the neighbouring marlstone rocks. Bones and teeth of the woolly
rhinoceros, reindeer, stag, Irish elk, mammoth, hyæna, cave-bear,
lion, wolf, fox, and horse rewarded our labours; and frogs’ remains,
cemented together by stalagmite, were abundant at the mouth. The teeth
preponderated greatly over the bones, and the great bulk were those of
the horse. The hyæna-teeth also were very numerous, and in all stages
of growth, from the young unworn to the old tooth worn down to the
very gums. Those of the mammoth had belonged to a young animal, and
one had not been used at all. The hollow bones were completely smashed
and splintered, and scored with tooth-marks, while the solid carpal,
tarsal, and sesamoid bones were uninjured, as in the Kirkdale Cave. The
organic remains were in all stages of decay, some crumbling to dust
at the touch, while others were perfectly preserved and had lost very
little of their gelatine.
[Illustration: FIGS. 84, 85, 86, 87.--Four Views of Flint Implements
found in the Hyæna-den at Wookey Hole, near Wells.]
In 1860 we resumed our excavations; and, in addition to the above
remains, found satisfactory evidence of the former presence of man in
the cave. Our search was rewarded by one oval implement of white flint,
of rude workmanship (Figs. 84, 85, 86, 87), one chert arrow-head,
a roughly-chipped and a round flattened piece of chert, together
with various splinters of flint, which had apparently been knocked
off in the manufacture of some implement. Two rudely-fashioned bone
arrow-heads were also found, which unfortunately were subsequently lost
by the photographer to whom they were sent; they resembled in shape an
equilateral triangle with the angles at the base bevelled off. All were
found in and around the same spot, in contact with some hyæna-teeth,
between the dark bands of manganese, at a depth of four feet from the
roof, and at a distance of twelve feet from the present entrance (Fig.
83, _a_).
That there might be no mistake about the accuracy of the observations,
I examined every shovelful of débris as it was thrown out by the
workman; while the exact spot where they were excavating was watched by
my colleague. The figured implement was picked out of the undisturbed
matrix by him; the rest were found by me in the earth thrown out from
the same place.
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