Kendrick's Cave
Encyclopedia
Kendrick's Cave on the Great Orme
, Llandudno, Wales, was the site of important archaeological finds by Thomas Kendrick in 1880. The site is a small natural cavern on the south of the Great Orme Head, a limestone
massif
on the seaward side of Llandudno
(Ordnance Survey ref SH 78008284).
Kendrick, a lapidary
, was clearing a cave in his garden to extend his workshop. In the process he found a decorated horse jaw
, flint artefacts, bear teeth with holes for use as beads or pendants and human and animal bones.
An analysis of the human bones found shows that they had a diet high in seafood and the presence of the bones has been taken to indicate that the cave was a burial site rather than a camp site. A recent research project involving with the British Museum
, the Field Club, Llandudno Museum and Archives, Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Historical Society, the National Museum of Wales, and Oxford and Bradford Universities has reunited the once dispersed finds from the cave.
Great Orme
The Great Orme is a prominent limestone headland on the north coast of Wales situated in Llandudno. It is referred to as Cyngreawdr Fynydd in a poem by the 12th century poet Gwalchmai ap Meilyr...
, Llandudno, Wales, was the site of important archaeological finds by Thomas Kendrick in 1880. The site is a small natural cavern on the south of the Great Orme Head, a limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
on the seaward side of Llandudno
Llandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
(Ordnance Survey ref SH 78008284).
Kendrick, a lapidary
Lapidary
A lapidary is an artist or artisan who forms stone, mineral, gemstones, and other suitably durable materials into decorative items such as engraved gems, including cameos, or cabochons, and faceted designs...
, was clearing a cave in his garden to extend his workshop. In the process he found a decorated horse jaw
Kendrick's Cave Decorated Horse Jaw
The Kendrick's Cave Decorated Horse Jaw is the only piece of artwork dated to the end of the last Ice Age or Late Glacial period in Britain. It is also the oldest known piece of art from Wales....
, flint artefacts, bear teeth with holes for use as beads or pendants and human and animal bones.
An analysis of the human bones found shows that they had a diet high in seafood and the presence of the bones has been taken to indicate that the cave was a burial site rather than a camp site. A recent research project involving with the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, the Field Club, Llandudno Museum and Archives, Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Historical Society, the National Museum of Wales, and Oxford and Bradford Universities has reunited the once dispersed finds from the cave.
See also
- Kendrick's Cave Decorated Horse JawKendrick's Cave Decorated Horse JawThe Kendrick's Cave Decorated Horse Jaw is the only piece of artwork dated to the end of the last Ice Age or Late Glacial period in Britain. It is also the oldest known piece of art from Wales....
- Prehistoric Wales
Further reading
- Sieveking, Ann. A catalogue of Palaeolithic art in the British Museum. London: British Museum Publications, 1987. ISBN 071411376X
External links
- Antler pin found in Kendrick's cave, Llandudno. People's Collection Wales.
- Decorated Beads from Kendrick's Cave - BBC
- From Kendrick's Cave at The Antiquarian's Attic.
- Great Orme cave finds are Llandudno Museum top exhibits - BBC News
- Isotope evidence for the intensive use of marine foods by Late Upper Palaeolithic humans.
- Lower Kendrick's Cave at the Megalithic Portal.
- Lower Kendrick's Cave: Associated Collection Records - Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.
- Uppper Kendrick's Cave: Associated Collection Records - Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.