| RefNo | MS/222/43 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Thirty-eighth 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 | 5 October 1868 |
| Description | Monthly report of the superintendents of excavation. They are still occupied in excavating the Western Division of the South-West Chamber, it is difficult and laborious work. The Cave Earth deposit has returned, and yielded traces of hyena, horse, bear, and mammoth, alongside four good flint implements, and a few gnawed bones. A graph drawing is provided 'in the scale of 1/30 linear' to illustrate the successive layering of deposits in the 17th vertical section of the 9th series. There are also two drawings which depict the outlines of two types of flint found, one implement is 'formed of a course grey [cherly] flint', and the other three are 'black flint, more or less whitened superficially'.
It has been arranged for Mr [William] Boyd Dawkins to visit Torquay and assist with identifying the bones and teeth found in the cavern: ahead of the visit, the Secretary has requested a preliminary inspection to 'facilitate this heavy work. Within a box 'labelled "1847"', was found a bone 'proved to be a portion of a needle, having a perfect nicely-drilled eye, which the stalagmite had previously concealed'. There is subsequent referrals to previous reports. A review of a bone previously found on February 4th 1867 turned out to be the 'canine of a badger(?), the fang of which has been cut' to a thin wedge and perforated. There are two outline drawings: an awl, found 21 September 1866, and a 'ring of Kimmeridge [coal]' found on 15 Februry 1867. |
| Extent | 3p |
| Format | Manuscript |
| AccessStatus | Open |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA2162 | Pengelly; William (1812 - 1894); geologist | 1812 - 1894 |
| NA6232 | Dawkins; Sir; William Boyd (1837 - 1929) | 1837 - 1929 |