Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Elderbush Cave
Hob Uid: 305632
Location : Staffordshire Staffordshire Moorlands Wetton
Grid Ref : SK0975054900
Summary : A prominent cave on Thor's Crag, Elderbush Cave was excavated by the Peakland Archaeological Society between 1935 and 1952. The earliest finds were Pleistocene animal remains, and some Upper Palaeolithic flint flakes were also present. Some Mesolithic activity was also attested. Some human bones are probably of Neolithic date, while the Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age were apparently represented by pottery. The Roman finds include a quantity of pottery, some fibulae, an iron knife, and some hones. However, one of the Roman potsherds joins with a sherd from Thor's Fissure Cave (SK 05 NE 30), raising doubts about the provenance of some of the material. A quantity of animal bones were reported to have come from "the Romano-British layer", but there are doubts about the precision of the excavation techniques. The cave was visited in 1989 by RCHME and the Trent and Peak Archaeological Trust as part of the Manifold Valley Caves Survey. Some intact deposits were noted, as were some recent boreholes in the centre of the cave.
More information : (SK 09795490) Elderbush Cave (NR) (1) Elderbush Cave was investigated by the Peakland Archaeological Society under the direction of D Bramwall from 1935 onwards. Above a collapsed stalagmite floor the red cave-earth contained the remains of forest and tundra animals. The gravelly cave-earth nearby contained long narrow, patinated flint flakes of late Palaeolithic Age. The post-glacial scree masking the cave entrance contained evidence of Mesolithic occupation and in the higher levels remains of Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman date. (2) The cave is situated in a short rock-face on the side of the valley at the top of its steep descent to the river below. The entrance is 5.0m wide and 4.0m high. On the south side of the entrance is an Elderbush from which the cave presumably took its name. (3) The cave was surveyed during the RCHME/Trent and Peak Archaeological Trust: Manifold Valley Caves Project. The cave is large and prominent and easily reached on the ground, this makes it vunerable to disturbance. The cave had recent boreholes in the centre from some scientific investigation. There appeared to be some intact deposits in the east passage at the time of survey.(4)

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Source Number : 1
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Source details : OS 6" 1971
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Source details : F1 GJR 09-DEC-57
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Source Number : 4
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Source details : Sarah Lucy/APR-1989/RCHME/Trent and Peak Archaeological Trust: Manifold Caves Project.
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Source Number : 6
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Page(s) : 24-Jun
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Source Number : 7
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Source details : Bramwell, D. The Excavations at Elder Bush Cave, Wetton, Staffs.
Page(s) : 46-60
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Vol(s) : 4, 1964

Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Upper Palaeolithic
Display Date : Upper Palaeolithic
Monument End Date : -10000
Monument Start Date : -40000
Monument Type : Cave
Evidence : Subterranean Feature

Monument Period Name : Mesolithic
Display Date : Mesolithic
Monument End Date : -4000
Monument Start Date : -10000
Monument Type : Cave
Evidence : Subterranean Feature

Monument Period Name : Neolithic
Display Date : Neolithic
Monument End Date : -2200
Monument Start Date : -4000
Monument Type : Cave
Evidence : Subterranean Feature

Monument Period Name : Early Bronze Age
Display Date : Early Bronze Age
Monument End Date : -1600
Monument Start Date : -2600
Monument Type : Cave
Evidence : Subterranean Feature

Monument Period Name : Iron Age
Display Date : Iron Age
Monument End Date : 43
Monument Start Date : -800
Monument Type : Cave
Evidence : Subterranean Feature

Monument Period Name : Later Prehistoric
Display Date : Later Prehistoric
Monument End Date : 43
Monument Start Date : -4000
Monument Type : Cave
Evidence : Subterranean Feature

Monument Period Name : Roman
Display Date : Roman
Monument End Date : 410
Monument Start Date : 43
Monument Type : Cave
Evidence : Subterranean Feature

Components and Objects:

Period : Upper Palaeolithic
Component Monument Type : Cave
Object Type : LITHIC IMPLEMENT, ANIMAL REMAINS
Object Material : Flint

Period : Mesolithic
Component Monument Type : Cave
Object Type : LITHIC IMPLEMENT
Object Material : Flint

Period : Neolithic
Component Monument Type : Cave
Object Type : HUMAN REMAINS, VESSEL
Object Material : Pottery

Period : Early Bronze Age
Component Monument Type : Cave
Object Type : VESSEL
Object Material : Pottery

Period : Iron Age
Component Monument Type : Cave
Object Type : KNIFE, VESSEL, BRIDLE BIT
Object Material : Pottery, Iron

Period : Later Prehistoric
Component Monument Type : Cave
Object Type : ANIMAL REMAINS
Object Material :

Period : Roman
Component Monument Type : Cave
Object Type : KNIFE, VESSEL, BROOCH, WHETSTONE, ANIMAL REMAINS
Object Material : Pottery, Iron, Bronze, Stone

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : ST 35
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : SMR Number (Staffordshire)
External Cross Reference Number : 51
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SK 05 SE 2
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1935-01-01
End Date : 1952-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1957-12-09
End Date : 1957-12-09

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1964-01-01
End Date : 1964-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : MEASURED SURVEY
Start Date : 1989-01-01
End Date : 1992-12-31

Historic England Research Records

Elderbush Cave