| Summary : Cave with evidence of multi-period use, located on the right bank of the River Wye. It is the largest of a series of small caves and rock shelters opening in a rock cliff on the east side of a small dry valley on Great Doward Hill. It was first excavated in 1871 by the Reverend WS Symonds, following the discovery the previous year of Pleistocene animal remains by iron ore miners. Symonds found further animal remains plus a few flint flakes. Further excavations were undertaken by the University of Bristol Speleological Society (U.B.S.S.) between 1925 and 1929, and again in 1952 and 1959. Further non-excavation work was undertaken during the 1980s as part of preparation of a report covering all the U.B.S.S. work at the cave. The earliest archaeological material comprises animal remains and flint flakes of probable Middle Palaeolithic date. Upper Palaeolithic evidence likewise comprises flints and animal remains. Late Upper Paleolithic artefacts include a wide range of tools, including knives, scrapers, burins, awls and backed blades. Later Mesolithic activity is represented by flints which appear to suggest knapping on site using imported flint, although the size of the assemblage is not particularly great. The Neolithic is represented by a single broken leaf-shaped arrowhead. Early Bronze Age activity is represented by barbed and tanged arrowheads, plano-convex knives, scrapers, and some Beaker sherds. Two burials found by Symonds are probably of Romano-British date. Other Roman finds include potsherds and a fragmentary spindle whorl. All of the later prehistoric and Roman material lacks contextual information, making interpretation difficult. Excavation again occurred in the 1990s as part of the Wye Valley Caves Project. Finds included Pleistocene animal remains, Bronze Age potsherds, Mesolithic flints plus perforated shells, while investigation of earlier spoil tips found Roman potsherds and human remains of presumed later prehistoric date. |
More information : (SO 547155) King Arthur's Cave (NR). (1)
Excavated in 1871 by the Rev W S Symonds and from 1924-27 by the UBSS
(2-3), continued in 1955 [unpublished] (4), and 1959 (5). (2-5)
The cave showed many points of resemblance with Mother Grundy's
Parlour at Creswell both in implements and in the occupation of the
platform fronting it. At least three Upper Palaeolithic, a
Mesolithic, a Neolithic and later horizons were recognised. The humus
contained late Neolithic or E B A potsherds and arrow-heads, and some
microlithic flint implements (Tardenoisian in type), like those found
at Rowberrow Cavern, Mendip, in an E B A context. Other objects
belonged to E I A, Roman and later periods. One of the richest and
most clearly stratified cave sites in this country.
[Finds from King Arthur's Cave 1871-1959 in UBSS Museum, British
Museum of Natural History, Monmouth museum and Bristol, Hereford and
Gloucester City museums]. (6-8)
King Arthur's Cave, situated at SO 54581558 in a N-facing limestone
rock face, consists of two caves, about 10.0m in depth, 2.5 to 4.0m
in height with entrances 1.5 to 2.0m in width.
A large spoil heap lies outside the caves, and differential erosion
of the side walls indicates some 2.0m depth of soil and rubbish has
been dug out.
Surveyed at 1:2500. See GPs. (9)
King Arthurs Cave is the largest in a series of caves and rock shelters on Great Doward Hill. It was excavated in 1871, 1925-9 and 1952. A re-examination of these exacavation results have lead to the discovery of a Pleistocene sequence extending back to Mid Devensian times with evidence of Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and later occupation. (10)
A full survey of the cave and limited excavations were carried out in 1995 as part of the Wye Valley Caves Project by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and Dr Nick Barton of Oxford Brookes University. Unstratified archaeological artefacts recovered from spoilheaps of previous excavations included flint implements, Romano-British and Medieval pottery, and Later Prehistoric human remains. In situ deposits containing evidence of Lateglacial flint debitage and a backed blade were also recorded. Further investigation is planned. (11) |