Kendrick's Cave Decorated Horse Jaw
Encyclopedia
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.
When originally acquired by the British Museum in 1959, the jaw was dated to between 8,000 and 25,000 years old but modern radiocarbon dating
methods have enabled it to more accurately dated to the Upper Palaeolithic era, about 10,000 years ago.
The jaw was found by Thomas Kendrick, a lapidary
, in 1880 at Kendrick's Cave
, Llandudno, Wales. It now forms part of the Christy Collection
in the British Museum
, where it is on display in Room 2.
When originally acquired by the British Museum in 1959, the jaw was dated to between 8,000 and 25,000 years old but modern radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
methods have enabled it to more accurately dated to the Upper Palaeolithic era, about 10,000 years ago.
The jaw was found by Thomas 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...
, in 1880 at Kendrick's Cave
Kendrick's Cave
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 .Kendrick, a lapidary, was clearing a cave in...
, Llandudno, Wales. It now forms part of the Christy Collection
Henry Christy
Henry Christy was an English banker and collector who left his substantial collections to the British Museum.-Early life:...
in 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...
, where it is on display in Room 2.
Features
The jaw consists of a 13.8 cm piece of bone with three remaining teeth. The underside includes incised blocks of zig-zag decoration created using a flint tool.Further reading
- "The Kendrick's Cave Mandible" by G. de G. SievekingGale SievekingGale de Giberne Sieveking was a prehistoric archaeologist, best known for his work on flint and flint mines, particularly at sites such as Grimes Graves. He "played... an important part in the development of archaeology as a discipline" and particularly in the understanding of the prehistoric period...
in The British Museum Quarterly, Vol. 35, No. 1/4 (Spring, 1971), pp. 230-250. - Sieveking, Ann. A catalogue of Palaeolithic art in the British Museum. London: British Museum Publications, 1987. ISBN 071411376X