Gordale Scar, Malham in the Yorkshire Dales, a well-known cave spot covered in the study. © Immanuel Giel
Modern house hunters might be looking for on-street parking or easy access to the shops, but a new survey of caves in the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales is helping to show how prehistoric man chose his dwellings.
The three-year-long survey looked at some 190 caves in the Peak District and 230 in the Yorkshire Dales and was organised by archaeologists from the University of Sheffield and the University of Bradford.
The project team systematically recorded the setting and dimensions of each cave and looked for archaeological deposits in them to establish what features made particular caves attractive for use in the past. Many previously unrecorded caves were included in the study.
Lathkill Dale is one of the top cave areas in the Peak District. © William M Connolley
“We are accustomed to hearing the words ‘location, location, location’ when discussing present day house purchases,” said Professor Andrew Chamberlain, one of the project leaders from the University of Sheffield.
“Now it appears that similar criteria may have been used by prehistoric hunters and farmers when selecting caves in which to conduct their activities.”
The findings show that prehistoric humans apparently favoured an east or west-facing cave and a large entrance to their dwellings.
A significantly higher proportion of the caves recorded in the Peak District had archaeological remains in them than those in the Yorkshire Dales. The report also indicated that there was high potential for new archaeological discoveries in the Peak District.
Cavedale, Castleton, the best-known recreational caving area in the Peak District. © Mick Knapton
It was also found that Peak District caves with archaeological evidence in them were more common at higher altitudes, although this was not the case in Yorkshire.
The findings, published as the Conservation Audit of Archaeological Caves, will help guide national policies for cave conservation and investigation, as Dr Randolph Donahue, project leader from the University of Bradford, explained:
“Heritage managers of landscapes with caves have struggled to make decisions about how best to protect these fragile and important archaeological remains. This research provides information which allows them to make more informed decisions.”
Click here to view the full report. The £95,000 project was funded by English Heritage’s Historic Environment Enabling Programme.
