Description
Hole is located at the base of a spectacular ravine in the steep cliffs west of Pwll-Du. The R.C.A.H.M.W. record that the entrance is 10m high and 5m wide and that the cave extends for 50m into the rock where it widens to a maximum of 20m (1976 Glamorgan Inventory No12). The sediments in the front part of the cave have been greatly disturbed by various excavations but the bulk of the deposits remain apparently intact.
The first published excavation occurred in 1850 when Lieut-Col E.R.Wood found rhinoceros and elephant bones both indicative of an interstadial or warm period and woolly mammoth and woolly rhinoceros bones both belonging to the last glaciation (Falconer 1868 507-10, Sutcliffe 1981 1-17). Further animal bones were discovered during the next major excavation which was conducted by N.T. George in 1931 (george 1932). Mr J.G.Rutter, excavating between 1949 and 1956, discovered three distinct hearth areas apparently occupied by native peoples during the first five centuries B.C. (R.C.A.H.M.W. 1976 No12). Recent excavations carried out by A.J. Sutcliffe of the British Museum (Natural History) and D.Q. Bowen (University of London) in the 1970's and early 1980's have concentrated on the raised beach deposits int he cave with a view to analysing Upper Pleistocene sea level changes and climatic alterations.
A list of all finds from the cave and their location may be found on the SMR card, a copy of which is bound into the back of the report.
2003 survey
This is the largest of the Gower caves, single chambered, facing SSW, opening into a narrow gully washed by high tides. The entrance is 10m high, 5m wide, extending 50m into the rock widening to 21m. The floor of the cave slopes upwards and various excavation have left an uneven surface. At the entrance to the cave orange and white lines and white arrows have been painted on the walls, presumably during recent excavations or surveys, further markings are visible inside the cave, and parts mainly of the eastern wall have been covered in faint graffiti. As the cave opens into the narrow gully a drystone wall has been built against the western wall, presumably to retain spoil from the excavations.
Davies (1928) suggest the name may relate to the cave acting as an anchorite cell, as Myncheus is the Anglo-Saxon name for a nun living under vows, not as was commonly supposed then, that it was a hideout for boys 'mitching' from school.
together with Bacon Hole Cave this cave is of national importance in dating Pleistocene events. Its detailed evidence for Ipswichian and earlier interglacial events is unrivalled, and forms one of the most important Pleistocene sites in Wales. The sequence of deposits and faunal remains recovered from multiple excavations provides an opportunity to study the simultaneous effect of climatic change on sea levels and local terrestrial environments.
The cave was first excavated in the 1850s by Wood, the findings of which are reported by Falconer. It was later excavated by George in 1931, by Rutter and Mason between 1948-1957 (who recovered much of the later archaeological material), and finally by Sutcliffe (Natural History Museum) and Bowen (University of London) from 1972-1984.
All the excavations have produced descriptions and interpretations of the sequence of deposits and faunal remains. The more recent excavations have been able to use various techniques to help date some of these deposits, including amino acid geochronology, and uranium series techniques. Based on these excavations a description of the deposits in ascending stratigrahic order can be described.
1. "Inner Beach", a 2m thick deposit of bedded sand with marine shells resting on the cave floor, interpreted as an intertidal beach deposited when sea levels were at least 3m higher than present, probably formed during temperate conditions.
2. A thins white deposit, possibly incipient stalagmite, demonstrating a partial cementation of the inner beach.
3. "Lower Red Cave Earth", a deposit of red clay mixed with angular limestone pieces. This deposit contained the remains of a large form of Northern Vole, similar remains came from basal sands at Bacon Hole. This has been interpreted as a product of roof breakdown with perhaps some material washed din, inferring a fall in sea level and colder conditions.
4. A flowstone floor with small bone fragments.
5. "Patella Beach", named by George, this is a storm beach, containing shingle and molluscs (mostly patella). This is interpreted as a rising sea level, c2m higher than present, that cut a sloping cliff into the deposits below. This can be linked to a similar deposit in Bacon Hole.
6. Fallen flowstone block, lying on top of the Patella beach, containing some terrestrial snails. This has been dated to possibly from c127 kyr BP, continuing until about 107 kyr BP. There are possible errors in this dating but it provides a useful date for the underlying Patella Beach of not older than 127 kyr BP, possibly much younger.
7. "Neritoides Beach", a sandy deposit named by George after the large number of shells recovered. This was later interpreted not as a beach but representing a transition with falling sea levels between ;layer 5 and overlying terrestrial sediments, a build up of blown sand indicates low sea levels. The variety of vertebrate faunas was dominated by abundant remains of birds and small mammals such as wood mouse, bank and field vole, a classic temperate woodland assemblage. Other mammals included hyena, lion, fallow deer, bear and wild boar.
8. "Earthy Breccia Series", a complex of cave earths and breccias, interpreted as material from rock falls. Fauna included narrow-nosed Rhinoceros and a small form of northern vole. Although the assemblage was still interglacial ion character it no longer contained temperate woodland species and there was a marked decline in evidence of marine influence. Both 7 and 8 faunal assemblages are typical of the Ipswichian stage, deposited at a time of relatively lower sea level than today. From the 'ossiferous breccia' of George's excavation also come the remains of wolf, lion, red deer and bison.
9-12. Later deposits preserved at the back of the cave. Some more remains of narrow-nosed rhinoceros were recovered showing elements of interglacial fauna still continuing. Wood appears to have also recovered elephant and bison. They also showed a build up of material from rock falls possibly blocking the cave during falling sea levels, which rose again later to wash away much of this material and reopen the cave. Overlain by Holocene deposits.
The special interest in these deposits lies in the existence of two distinct fossil beach deposits, with a clear stratigraphic relationship. The deposits can be tied into Oxygen Isotope Sequence dating, gained from studying oxygen isotope sequence of ocean floor deposits to produce a timeline for glacial and interglacial events. The inner beach is interpreted as a pre-Ipswichian high sea level, the Lower Red Cave Earth as an episode of later lowered sea levels, but earlier than the patella beach. This beach is provisionally dated to OIS 5e. Mammalian fauna immediately overlying this is typically Ipswichian. All the deposits overlying the Neritoides beach are interpreted as having accumulated at a time when the sea level was lower than at present, the uppermost layers are interpreted as late Devensian in age.
Allen and Rutter's excavation in the 1940s and 50s revealed evidence of human occupation from the upper levels. A report has never been published but the well-recorded details currently rest in the Natural History Museum, and the findings have been described and discussed by Savory (1956) and Branigan et al (1998). Material was recovered from the early Iron Age through to the medieval period, all apparently from a thin and much disturbed layer. Other archaeological material has been recovered periodically by visitors to the cave. The earliest material recovered from the excavation included two human skull fragments, adjacent to which was found a small flint borer and scraper possibly indicating minor Neolithic/Bronze Age burial horizon. A small number of other worked flints and pottery has been dated to the same period. Iron Age material includes a bone handled knife (c200bc) and a small number of potsherds and metal objects. The majority of material recovered cab be dated to the Romano-British period. The excavations identified 4 separate hearth areas indicating occupation of the cave, concentrated mainly from the late C3rd to C4th AD. 27 Roman coins have been recovered, dating from Antonine (AD 138-61) to Gratian (AD 367-83), the majority being late C3rd to mid C4th. Of the 750 potsherds recovered, the vast majority came from the late C3rd to C4th, with some C2nd.
A large variety of other objects have been recovered, including decorative items such as brooches, bracelets and rings, domestic waste from animals and shellfish, fighting equipment like arrowheads and slingstones and other objects such as worked bone spoons and combs, glass and a variety of metal objects. The finding of 8 worked bone spoons of similar dates concentrated together around one of the hearths is suggestive of some small scale manufacturing in this period. The rest of the finds would seem to indicate general domestic occupation of the caves in this period by family groups, possibly on a seasonal basis. Later material includes medieval pot sherds, brooches and coins from Lothaire I (Holy Roman Emperor AD 840-55), Charles the Bald also described by Savory as Charlemange (AD 768-814), Ecgberht of Wessex (AD 830-39) and a groat of Edward III.