Ash Tree Cave |
| Hob Uid: 318369 | |
Location :
Derbyshire
Bolsover
Whitwell
|
| Grid Ref : SK5148076140 |
| Summary : A cave discovered by Leslie Armstrong in 1938 and excavated by him intermittently until his death in 1956. Subsequently, the excavations were continued by the Hunter Archaeology Society, the final excavation being undertaken in 1959-60 by McBurney. The cave is located on the northwest side of a dry valley known as Burntfield Grips. Armstrong described the cave as a small chamber approached by a short passage. The chamber contained a collection of human remains representing several individuals. These represented at least two separate deposits, and were covered with a mass of rocks and earth which Armstrong had initially thought to represent roof collapse. A cist-like structure at the back of the cave had contained further human remains. No artefacts were associated with any of these burials, but a Neolithic radiocarbon date, presumably derived from some of these human remains, was published in 1996. Other finds from the cave included Iron Age and Roman pottery, flint and bone objects, animal bones. The Mesolithic was represented by microliths and animal bones. Armstrong claimed to have found material of Pleistocene date, but examination of the extant material by Jenkinson in the late 1970s failed to identify a single artefact of Palaeolithic date, although some animal remains were present. Some Bronze Age pottery was apparently found on the platform outside the cave during the 1959-60 excavations. |
More information : [SK 5148 7612] (2) Ash Tree Cave is situated at the N.W. side of a
dry V-shaped valley known as Burntfield Grips, near Whitwell, and was
excavated by Armstrong 1949-1957 when Neolithic burials, a sub-
megalithic cist, Roman and Iron Age pottery, Mesolithic, Creswellian
and Mousterian horizons were found (1)
Bronze Age pottery was found on the platform outside the cave during
excavations 1959-60 (3).
Site No. 2, opposite to Ash Tree Cave was found to be a small rock
shelter with a Mesolithic occupation level and small flecks of
charcoal, possibly indicating casual occupation, beneath glacial
material. (1-5)
Ash Tree Cave, surveyed at 1/2500 at SK 51486 76147. The rock shelter
could not be identified. Sheffield Museum hold all the finds. (6)
Additional references. (7-8)
The supposed "Creswellian" artifacts from Ash Tree Cave include as
backed tools only Mesolithic "microliths" and a "petit tranchet
derivative" of more Neolithic aspect. (9)
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