Spurge Hole cave - Pennard West Cliff, Pennard & Bishopston, Gower

Summary

A small cave entrance discovered by Mel Davies (N.C.C. Warden June 1987) on steep, south-facing cliffs in 1985.

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Description

small cave entrance discovered by Mel Davies (N.C.C. Warden June 1987) on steep, south-facing cliffs in 1985. The Trust surveyor could not locate the cave but it is possible that Mr. Davies partially blocked the entrance. The cave was excavated in March 1985 (Davies 1985 1-4) and human bones were discovered at a depth of 15cm (see list on S.M.R. card, a copy of which is bound into the back of the report). The skeleton was placed across the cave mouth with the skull to the left or west side and lower limbs well under the east wall.

2003 survey
The entranceway forms a low S facing arch, at present 1.3m wide and at most 0.5m high, mostly blocked by grass covered earth. During the clearing of gravely earth by Mel Davies, former CCW warden, to gain access to the cave, two human bones were recovered at a depth of c0.15m, parts of a leg and pelvis. After the site was shown to Mr Rutter they decided to excavate, opening a trench c1m long and c0.5m wide across the cave mouth. Recovered in situ were human remains, including fragments of skull, jaw, vertebrae, arm bones, ribs and articulated leg and pelvis bones. The bones represented one adult individual, the wear on molars suggested an age at death of 35-45 years. Several of the teeth were found loose, 2 of which suggested an individual even older. No datable material was recovered. Boulders found at the cave mouth suggests the cave may have been deliberate blocked after the internment. The rear of the cave ran for another 5.3m turning to the E with a low roof c0.3m high before being choked with boulders. Davies and Rutter carefully backfilled the site.

The previous survey exposed bone and erosion so the National Museum of Wales was commissioned to carry out further limited excavation to recover the skeletal remains. The excavation was undertaken in 1991 by E Walker, S Lamb and K Brassil. The bones represented one individual 45 years old or older of medium build. The teeth showed hypercementosis, indicative of periodontal disease and loose teeth. This excavation recovered more bones although their state of preservation was poor. The bones of the single skeleton came from at least one male adult and one female, one of which is aged at 40+. A child of c4 years old, is represented by a single tooth. Another tooth belonged to a 40+ year old individual but different from the one described in the original excavation. It appears the bones are indicative of a 'reconstituted' individual comprising of a male represented by right hip bones, right temporal and frontal bones and a female represented by left and right femurs and the left hip bone. A sample of the left femur, probably female, was radiocarbon dated to 4830+/-100 years BP (c.2880 BC) which puts it in the earlier Neolithic. The burial was aligned E-W, with the skull to the W. these types of 'reconstituted' Neolithic burials are reasonably well documented but have rarely been recorded wither n caves or belonging to the early Neolithic, a late Neolithic date is more typical. It appears more sediment is still present, the excavation went down c0.25m but the photos suggest there may be up to 1m of sediment. No erosion is visible today.

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