Analysis of sediments in Gough’s Cave, Cheddar, Somerset and their bearing on the Palaeolithic archaeology

S. N. Collcut

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Publication Date

January 1985

Volume Number

17

Issue Number

2

Abstract

The Cave Earth/Breccia unit is an accretionary wedge of dense sediment, thinning and fining into the cave. Macroscopic examination has shown irregular internal stratification in places, and microscopic examination of a small number of old samples reveals common irregular and extremely localized bedding features. The unit comprises material from three general sources: (1) sands and fine pebbles of regional petrology, probably derived from the Gorge bottom; (2) limestone clasts and fine limestone residues of local provenance; and (3) strictly autochthonous carbonate precipitates, sometimes interstratified as thin, discontinuous speleothems. Apart from the local processes of rockfall and carbonate precipitation, the unit was formed by the gradual introduction of material via the main cave entrance by creep and sheetwash. There is no sign of any geological process of sufficiently high energy to have caused mass mixing or transport of the archaeological assemblage.

Document Type

Article

Language

English

Identifier

SFS0060865_00001

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