Longhole Cave is located in a limestone crag on the sea cliffs of the south coast of the Gower peninsula, South Wales. The cave can be accessed via a footpath with little difficulty. The site has experienced multiple episodes of excavation and study, most recently in 2012, which have produced remains of Pleistocene fauna and palaeolithic stone tools.
The cave consists of an entrance area which leads to a 15m long passage that measures 4m wide and 2m high. This passage gradually reduces in size before ending in a small crevice. The sediment has been largely removed during previous excavations, but some stratigraphical observations can be made. Sections of stalagmite flooring overlay the current cave floor with patches of limestone gravel beneath. At the cave rear is an undisturbed clay deposit that is covered by a stalagmite section. Excavation reports recount 7ft deep layers of cave earth mixed with large limestone blocks.
Several flint artefacts and Pleistocene animal bones were found during the first excavation at Longhole cave but their location in the site and sediment was not recorded. These bones included species such as cave bear, badger, pole cat, marten, otter, fox, wolf, hyena, wild cat, lion, deer, red deer, reindeer, bison, pig, horse, soft-nosed rhinoceros, woolly rhinoceros, straight tusk elephant, mammoth, mountain hare, rabbit, and water vole. Following this, multiple animal bones/fragments, 28 lithics and over 100 periwinkle shells were excavated from the entrance area. A single Tritia Reticulata shell was also found here and theorised as purposefully perforated due to its resemblance to shell beads discovered in similar contexts.
The first excavation was conducted in 1861 by Colonel E.R. Wood. As discussed previously, little was recorded on the context of the finds or method of recovery, but some lithics and a wide variety of Pleistocene animal bones were recovered. The lithics from this assemblage were dated in 1926 by Garrod to the Upper Palaeolithic Aurignacian culture, specifically between c.41,000-27,000 BP. However, the lack of contextual information makes this difficult to confirm.
Dr J.B. Campbell excavated Longhole cave further in 1969, though focused only on the entrance section as he identified no intact deposits in the interior. The excavation revealed a stratigraphy separated into 4 distinct sections with distinct evidence of a cold period produced through sediment and pollen analysis. Campbell believed this was the last glacial maximum which occurred around 22,000-19,000 BP. This excavation produced further animal bones, shell and 5 lithics.
The most recent excavation was in 2012, headed by Rob Dinnis. This was a small-scale project that aimed to check the spoil of the previous excavations here. The largest, and most successful, of the three pits dug was presumed to contain some of Wood’s 1861 spoil in its upper levels, producing Pleistocene animal bone fragments. However, underneath this upper spoil was a finds rich deposit. This deposit again contained animal bone fragments, but it also held over 100 periwinkle shells and 23 lithics/lithic fragments. These finds, due to a confused stratigraphy, could not be conclusively identified to a period or typology of artefact.
Longhole Cave has already produced a notable prehistoric assemblage, including lithics and a possible shell bead which suggests the presence of humans at this site in the Upper Palaeolithic. The small-scale work in 2012 produced additional and useful material from the site and this might suggest that further archaeological efforts here would be beneficial. So far, the cave and its assemblage have not been fully considered using modern technology or reassessed as a whole. Further work surrounding this site is recommended to enhance our knowledge of the Palaeolithic.
Context: Welsh Palaeolithic
The Palaeolithic, also known as the ‘Old Stone Age’ is an era defined by the advent and use of lithic technology by hominids. This period sits within the Pleistocene or ‘Ice Age’ global epoch which lasted from around 2.5 million to 10,000 years before present and contained multiple dramatic climate shifts. Mainland Europe’s Palaeolithic occurred around 1.4 million to 10,000 years ago, but as an era defined by hominin behaviours and presence, the span of the Palaeolithic differs between locations.
The earliest evidence of Welsh hominins comes from Neanderthal remains dated to around 230,000 years ago. However, due to climactic changes in this period, Wales was only occupied intermittently. The first modern human remains found in Wales, known as ‘the Red Lady of Paviland’, date to between 33,000 – 34,000 years ago but the area would later be abandoned between 21,000 to 13,000 years ago. This includes artefacts from one of the last phases of the era, the Early Upper Palaeolithic (38,000-27,000 years before present). Humans in this period continued to rely on lithic technologies and operated in mobile hunter-gatherer social units which were capable of cultural complexities such as ritual burials and art.
Sources include
Cadw Schedule Monument GM391 https://cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net/reports/sam/FullReport?lang=&id=3630
Dinnis, R. (2019) “Archaeological collections from Long Hole (Gower, Swansea, UK) and their place in the British Palaeolithic,” Science.
Glamorgen Gwent Archaeological Trust HER PRN 00156w https://archwilio.org.uk/her/chi3/report/page.php?watprn=GGAT00156w
Sites of archaeological importance (2021) Gower Bone Caves. Available at: https://www.gowerbonecaves.org.uk/gazetteer
Trilobyte, B.M. South Gower Coast Caves, Caves of South Wales. Available at: http://www.ogof.org.uk/areas/south-gower-coast-caves.html
B. Irvine, April 2023
This record was enhanced by B. Irvine (University of Southampton) as part of an MA/MSc work placement with RCAHMW (January to May 2023).