| RefNo | MS/222/38 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Thirty-third report of progress of excavations by William Pengelly and Edward Vivian, Torquay, to the British Association Kent's Cavern Committee |
| Creator | Pengelly; William (1812-1894); geologist |
| Vivian; Edward (1808–1893); science writer; poet |
| Date | 6 April 1868 |
| Description | Monthly report of the superintendents of exploration. Long description of work in the south-western gallery. The red-earth contained teeth of bear, hyena, horse, and rabbit. A point was made on two small flint flakes found: 'Were it not that some considerable time had elapsed since we previously met with any indication of man, and that the [?] they occupied was at the greatest distance from the entrance of the Cavern to which the present excavation has been carried, the flakes, though pretty good specimens, would not be of great interest’. A description of breccia as a 'concrete of red earth, stones, stalagmite and bones' being a layer spread across the gallery. In some cases bones and teeth form half of this breccia mass - all thought to be from a cave-bear. Comments on excavation notes from 1865 and how this latest study of breccia could mean a revision to previous chronology of the cavern: a claim that the cave-bear was the only animal visitor to the cavern during the era of the breccia. No evidence of man has been detected for this [breccia] early period so far. Mentions an 1846 exploration of the Cavern by the Torquay Natural History Society, which included Dr Battersby, Vivian, and Pengelly - this exploration also ventured into the south-western gallery, but they stopped two inches from 'when the breccia would have been discovered.' |
| Extent | 4p |
| Format | Manuscript |
| AccessStatus | Open |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA2162 | Pengelly; William (1812 - 1894); geologist | 1812 - 1894 |