Derbyshire Bone Caves 2: Elder Bush cave

Elder Bush cave lies to the south of Thor’s cliff in an outcrop of reef limestone. It overlooks the whole of the Manifold valley bottom from a position on the very skyline at an altitude of 275m.

View of Thor’s cliff from Elder Bush cave. N Barden July 2019. 

The entrance to Elder Bush cave. N Barden July 2019.

PastScape (2015) reports the excavations thus: “Elderbush Cave was excavated by the Peakland Archaeological Society between 1935 and 1952. The earliest finds were Pleistocene animal remains, and some Upper Palaeolithic flint flakes. Some Mesolithic activity was also attested. Some human bones are probably of Neolithic date, while the Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age were apparently represented by pottery. The Roman finds include a quantity of pottery, some fibulae, an iron knife, and some whetstones. However, one of the Roman potsherds joins with a sherd from Thor's Fissure Cave (SK 05 NE 30), raising doubts about the provenance of some of the material. A quantity of animal bones were reported to have come from "the Romano-British layer", but there are doubts about the precision of the excavation techniques.”

This last point is indeed a conundrum. However, Don Bramwell, was one of G. H. Wilson’s ‘Brotherhood of the Pick and Shovel’ that excavated Thor’s Fissure cave, during Easter of 1930 - see Wilson (1926) p. 21. He evidently kept some pottery in his collection and when incorporated into the museum collection upon his death, may have been mislabelled.

A detailed and well-illustrated summary of the excavations by the director of the work, D. Bramwell was published in 1964. On the discovery of the cave he says: “The discovery of a wide-mouthed cave, high on the slopes of the Manifold Valley near Wetton, Staffordshire, raised the hope that some evidence of very early cave occupation by man might at last be encountered in the limestone area. The discoverer of the cave Rev. G. H. Wilson of Buxton, gathered together a corps of voluntary helpers to carry out the exploration.. Through failing health Mr Wilson was unable to complete the rather strenuous task of directing the work, so at a late stage the responsibility passed into my hands.. Work at the cave extended from 1935 to 1952, apart from a break of four years due to the war.”

His description of the cave is as follows:

“The cave as shown in fig. 1, is only one part of a quite complex system of chambers and passages, all of which were concealed until excavation began to reveal a series of five water worn channels or swallets, below a rock ledge on the north east side of the chamber. Entry into the lower system is gained by a steep descent of Swallet 1, which soon levels out into a fissure-like chamber. From this fissure, narrow, tube-like passages lead to a short vertical pitch into a second fissure which formerly carried some fine stalactite formations, or alternatively into a low chamber through which one can crawl to emerge into the bone cave, via Swallet 2. Swallets 3, 4 and 5 are still choked with clay but may repay further digging. The small low chamber between Swallets 1 and 2, is the only part of the lower system in which bones have been found, which had rolled down from the main bone cave.”

Bramwell’s Fig. 1. Original caption reads: Plan of Elder Bush cave. Each division marked is six feet long.

Side view of Elder Bush cave drawn by Bramwell from Wonders of the Peak (2020).

Section drawing by Don Bramwell from Wonders of the Peak (2020)

Noting that before excavation sediments reached within 2 feet of the roof, Bramwell relates the stratigraphy:

“1. White clay. Excavation has proved the cave to be a modified sloping fissure, fig 2, with a steep dip towards the north east, therefore there is no level floor and this lowest deposit of white clay clings to the sloping south west wall and extends to the north west to unknown depths. No foreign material.

Bramwell’s Fig. 2, amended to show the possible assignment of MIS stages to Bramwell’s stratigraphy.

2. Yellow sandy clay, lying conformably on layer 1. No foreign bodies except geological. 

3. Breccia of gritstone and limestone. Found in the final chamber only. May be contemporary with layer two and of the same parent material with the finer particles washed out. The cavity found under the stalagmite floor, section C-D may result from this process (see below).

Bramwell’s Fig 3. Original caption reads: Section across the Final Chamber on the line CD. The skull is that of a Brown Bear.

4. Massive stalagmite. This overlaid the yellow clay in a significant area of the cave, but in the final chamber formed the roof of several cavities (see above). In that chamber it formed a solid floor, however its presence in the main chamber could only be deduced by large broken slabs. Whether its collapse in the main chamber was due to washout processes which created the cavity in the Final Chamber or whether frost heave from ice within the clay precipitated the collapse is unclear.

5. Laminated grey clay. The massive stalagmite of layer 4 was fairly, evenly covered with material. Its laminated nature was assumed to be due to seasonal deposition, due to seasonal runoff filtering through the cave roof. It had a thickness of ca. two feet and 5000 laminae.

6. Sand. This lay in an almost uniform bed over the grey clay. Like all previous layers it contained no organic remains.

7. Sandy cave earth. This layer merged imperceptibly with the underlying layer imperceptibly. It was so named because it contained bones. The absence of clay binding the sand particles indicates dry conditions and indicates the sand probably has an aeolian origin. Bramwell compares this layer to certain lower layers from Creswell Crags.

8. Flaky stalagmite. A limited deposit found interstratified with layer 7 found in certain areas of the cave assumed to be ‘wet patches’, near the cave mouth. Most fortuitously wind-blown debris of leaves and insect wings was caught in this quickly forming stalagmite and fossilized (see below).

Fossilized leaf and insect wings from the ‘flaky stalagmite layer’ near the entrance of Elder Bush Cave. Bramwell, fig 4.

a was determined to be Acer monspessulanum, whilst b is the wing of a caddis fly, probably Microptera cf. nycterobia

9. Red cave earth. This stratum formed the main bone-bearing stratum of the cave. It consisted of stiff red clay with many darkly stained mammal bones and sub-angular limestone fragments. The layer was subdivided in the middle, by an indurated layer or ‘pan’ about 3 inches thick. The fauna of lower section (hyena, lion and large bison) indicated a warm climate, whilst the appearance of cold fauna higher in the layer (reindeer, bear and fox) indicate a cold climate.

10. Transitional layer. Looser than the underlying layer and merging imperceptibly with the overlying gravel layer. Again, a cold fauna.

11a. Limestone gravel – uncemented and therefore not a breccia. This occupied a considerable depth in the main chamber. It did not occur in the Final Chamber but was replaced by the interbedding of the flaky stalagmite layer in the (layer 8). It is conjectured that it formed in a period of rapidly fluctuating temperatures. Seems to be a deposit resulting from the rapid switches between glacial and temperate climate.

12. Post Glacial deposit. Brown loam with limestones pieces, extending out of the cave and down the talus slope.

Two interior views of the cave photographed July 2019 by the author:

The fauna of the cave proved to be quite interesting.

Layer 7 contained species of the Eemian: Hippopotamus, lion, hyena, giant deer, wolf, large bison and hare.

Layer 9 lying directly over layer 7 in the majority of the cave marks a transition in climate from warm to cool. It sees the lion, large bison and hyena continuing but cold adapted species began appearing such as woolly rhinoceros, horse, cave bear, reindeer and lemmings. By the middle of layer 9, hyena, cave lion, cave bear and woolly rhinoceros, are replaced by red deer and wild pig. These last two are indicative of woodland and hence the middle of layer 9 probably represents a milder, interstadial period. Recalling that the bones in this region were cemented with ‘pan’ also indicates a milder climate. Above this pan, still in layer 9, the bones were mainly of reindeer, fox, bear and large bovid (auroch?) – this is again a distinctly cold fauna.

Additionally Bramwell comments: “A number of bones from this layer were found to have rolled down swallet 2 and were preserved in a small chamber at the base of the swallet.” These included the brown bear skull shown below.

Bear skull from Elderbush Cave, photographed shortly after discovery. Now on display at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery. From Wonders of the Peak (2020)

Sketch of a bear skull from Elderbush Cave, Don Bramwell. PAS Collection, Buxton Museum. From Wonders of the Peak (2020).

A later publication (Bramewll and Shotton 1982) identifies the bear species as Cave Bear, Ursus spelaeus.

Layer 10, the transitional layer, had a continuation of this fauna, but its looser drier nature allowed better preservation of fragile specimens such as grouse and mallard. Both these bird species, Bramwell posits are indicative of full glacial conditions.

Layer 11 contained only bones of the large bovid. Also present were the bones of water vole and numerous amphibian species. Bramwell hypothesises that their presence indicates the late glacial stage.

Layer 12. Brown loam – possible post glacial deposits.

Comparing  the climate sequence Bramwell has inferred from the cave stratigraphy to the MIS stages and their known climate, the correspondence is remarkably good – see picture 5.

Now if we go on to look at the archaeological finds from the cave we can also infer their dates and tentatively who was occupying the cave.

These were:

Layer 9 (top) reindeer metacarpal worked to a point – possibly a spear point or an awl. Bramwell assigned this to the late Palaeolithic period – see picture below. No flint tools.

Bramwell Fig. 5. Bone tools from Elder Bush Cave. a and b cheek pieces for a Bronze Age horse harness. c, bone point possibly a spear point or an awl of Neanderthal (?) make.

Layer 10. 7 pieces of worked flint. Six are figured by Bramwell – see Bramwell’s Fig. 6 below. He comments: “pieces labelled a, b, and c, appear to have broken points, but they have sharp cutting edges and might thus have been dual purpose tools”.. “similar unretouched blades have been found in the upper levels of Mother Grundy’s Parlour, Creswell and Armstrong suggested that the Elder Bush material may be Mesolithic. This is untenable in view of the strongly Late Pleistocene facies of the fauna and I think they could equally well be Palaeolithic.” Furthermore he commented on the one really diagnostic piece found (now missing): “A backed blade, about 1 ½ inches long was the only tool with secondary work”.. “However it was of the same white patination as those figured..”

Bramwell Fig. 6 – stone tools from layer 10

It is worth mentioning that this type of backed knife is typical of Mousterian – Neanderthal tools. Other signs of human occupation in this layer included bones of reindeer, split to obtain marrow, charcoal from fire use and a cached reindeer thoracic region. Bramwell concludes that the small quantity of debris found indicates a hunting camp as opposed to a long period of occupation.

Layer 11 – a single large Bovid vertebra.

Layer 12 – post glacial, of which Bramwell says “The post upper Palaeolithic archaeology of the cave is less significant as it was concerned with possible, Early Bronze Age, Early Iron Age and Romano-British periods..” He did not however cover it in detail.

Bramwell (1964) Fig. 8. Early to mid Bronze age finds form Elder Bush cave: Beaker pottery (a and b) and a fibula (c)

On the stratigraphic, placement of some of the bones found, perhaps including the bone point, Lewis et al. (2011) made the following comments: “A record of hippopotamus together with reindeer is known from Elder Bush Cave (Staffordshire; Bramwell 1964), where it is thought that the reindeer was intrusive from overlying Devensian sediments.”

This is simply NOT the case! Here is what Bramwell (1964) actually had to say on stratigraphy and the placement of finds within it: “In any discussion of the fauna of Elder Bush Cave it is necessary to note the method by which the sediments were excavated during the earlier phase. This was at times liable to error for, from my observations, level trenches were worked as far as possible, whereas my own section  revealed a series of sloping beds, particularly in the deeper and older deposits. Thus if a level trench were to be made at the ninth foot (fig. 2), it would be liable to contain bones from layers 9 and 7, with consequent mixing of animals from warm and cooler climate. Thus I have had to revise the provenance of a few of the bones from lower levels.”

So, Bramwell had already revised where in the section, bones came from. Thus he is certain that the bone point is from the top of layer 9.

He states this explicitly later in his paper: “The oldest artifact in the cave, based on the stratigraphy, was the metacarpal bone of a reindeer which had been shaped to a point and cut away at the back. This was found in the topmost layers of the red cave earth, layer 9, and so falls into the late Pleistocene period.”

Lewis et al. accept the stratigraphy: “..the overlying Devensian sediments.” Yet he states that reindeer bone was found with hippopotamus.

What are we to make of this? There are several possibilities. Lewis may simply, not have read the stratigraphic description thoroughly and/or compared it with the published section.

The bone to which Lewis is referring, is another reindeer bone of which I am unaware of as it is unpublished. This would contradict Lewis’ referencing of Bramwell’s 1964 paper as his source.

Bramwell did indeed find hippopotamus bones with reindeer and they were intrusive from above.

However, from the published record, Lewis et al. (2011) have no evidence of this whatsoever.

Thus the dating of the reindeer bone point stands. It dates to between ca. 85ka and 73ka. Therefore it is of probable Neanderthal make.

On human remains Bramwell (1964) makes no mention. However, in Bramwell (1950) he says:  “The human remains are poor, consisting for the most part of odd teeth and phalanges with no sign of an encisted burial. Most of these remains occurred in the earth of the platform in front of the cave.”

Interest in the age of the Manifold Valley caves was undoubtedly sparked by Bramwell’s excavations. Rowe at al. (1988) therefore, looked at a number of locations in the 1980’s.

They report their investigation of Manifold Valley caves “In order to investigate the chronology of the development of the Manifold Valley, speleothems were collected from twelve fossil cave remnants and dated by the uranium – thorium method.. Much of the calcite examined was detritally contaminated or too young to be of significance, but two caves, Elder Bush and Darfur Ridge, contained flowstones of sufficient quality and age to be of use in reconstructing the history of valley incision.”

This sampling, of the speleothem, formations of the cave revealed its importance: “Analyses of uranium and thorium isotopes in calcite samples from thick flowstones within a high level relict cave remnant (Elder Bush Cave) indicated that the formations were beyond the range of the uranium-thorium dating technique (350 ka). ²³⁴/U//^238/U isotope activity ratios approached unity, suggesting that the flowstones may have formed a considerable time before 350 ka. Palaeomagnetic samples taken from cores drilled through the flowstones showed the presence of both normally and reversely magnetized calcite. In some cases reversely magnetized layers overlie normally magnetized layers. This evidence, taken in conjunction with the uranium isotope data, is interpreted as indicating an Olduvai age (1.66-1.87 Ma) for some of the flowstone horizons. It is suggested that the cave became vadose by or soon after 2.0 Ma. The position of the cave near the valley rim enables an estimate to be made of the maximum rate at which the present valley has been excavated. This is calculated to be 5.5 cm/ka. Remnants of old valley floors preserved within the existing valley suggest that downcutting has been a continuous process. Flowstone from a cave on one of the lower valley floor remnants (Darfur Ridge Cave) has been dated to 284 +34/-27ka allowing a maximum downcutting rate since that time of 11.2 cm/ka. The proximity of Elder Bush Cave to the valley crest suggests that its abandonment marked the onset of the incision of the present system of dales that characterize the English Peak District, presumably initiated by epeirogenic uplift or tilting.”

Rowe (1988), Fig 3. Original caption reads: Sketch plan of Elder Bush cave entrance chamber showing main flowstone formations and locations from which cores and hand specimens and hand specimens were recovered.

The work of Rowe et al. (1988) therefore, emphasises the importance of short relict caves such as this in Quaternary environmental reconstruction.

What then can we say of the likely occupiers of the site? The earliest artifact, the point made from a reindeer metacarpal likely dates between 85-70ka. As such it would be Neanderthal.

Whilst bone tools have been regarded as part of the package of human innovation arriving in Europe ca. 40-45,000BP Neanderthal bone tools are known from the archaeological record. These include: Probable scrapers Gran Dolina, Spain 300ka Rosell et al. (2011); Bone point Große Grotte Germany 100-50ka Albrecht et al. (1972); Bone Retouchers, La Quina, France 71-57 ka Verna et al. (2011); Rib tools and bone point Salzgitter Lebensted Germany 58-54 ka BP Gaudzinski (1999); Lissoirs (hide/leather smoother) Pech-de-l’Azé I (Pech I) and Abri Peyrony, France 48-41ka Soressi et al. 2013; Grotta della Cala, Grotta del Cavallo, and Grotta di Castelcivita, Italy bone awls 41-43ka d’Errico et al. (2012).

Additionally, Wenban‐Smith (2010) has found a well dated Devensian, lithic assemblage in Kent proving Neanderthals were in Britain during the period in question.

Whilst Rowe’s work does not in any way confirm that Neanderthal’s lived at Elder Bush cave between 85 and 73ka, it does reliably show that the cave had its speleothems deposited by at the latest, 730ka. Therefore, the sediment deposits that filled the cave, must post-date this ancient epoch. In fact, notwithstanding interruptions during glaciations, there was indeed more than adequate time for the cave to fill with sediment to the great depth that Bramwell excavated.

It therefore seems that while the evidence for Neanderthal occupation of Elder Bush cave is equivocal, it may have, at least temporarily, been occupied by Neanderthals.

References

Albrecht, G., Hahn, J. and Torke, W.G., 1972. Merkmalsanalyse von Geschoßspitzen des mittleren Jungpleistozäns in Mittel-und Osteuropa (Vol. 2). W. Kohlhammer.

Benito, B.M. and G. Gil-Romera (2016) Eemian Distribution of Neanderthals via Authorea at https://www.authorea.com/users/8423/articles/72586-eemian-distribution-of-neanderthals/_show_article# accessed 27.04.19

Bramwell, D. (1950). Cave Dwellers and Dens of Late Pleistocene Animals in the Manifold Valley, Staffordshire. Transactions of the Cave Research Group of Great Britain, 1950, Vol 1, Issue 4, p. 43-52

Bramwell, D. (1964). The Excavations at Elder Bush Cave, Wetton, Staffs. North Staffordshire journal of field studies vol. 4, Page(s) 46-60

Bramwell, D. and Shotton, F.W., 1982. Rodent remains from the caddis-bearing tufa of Elder Bush Cave. Quaternary Newsletter, 38, pp.7-13.

d’Errico, F., Borgia, V. and Ronchitelli, A., 2012. Uluzzian bone technology and its implications for the origin of behavioural modernity. Quaternary International, 259, pp.59-71.

Gaudzinski, S., 1999. Middle Palaeolithic bone tools from the open-air site Salzgitter-Lebenstedt (Germany). Journal of Archaeological Science, 26(2), pp.125-141.

Lewis, S. G., Ashton N. and R Jacobi (2011). Testing Human Presence During the Last Interglacial (MIS5e): A Review of the British Evidence in Developments in Quaternary Science vol. 14 p. 131. N. Ashton, S. Lewis and C. Stringer eds.

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Rosell, J., Blasco, R., Campeny Vall-llosera, G., Díez Fernández-Lomana, J.C., Alonso Alcalde, R., Menéndez Granda, L., Arsuaga, J.L., Bermúdez de Castro, J.M. and Carbonell, E., 2011. Bone as a technological raw material at the Gran Dolina site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain). Journal of Human Evolution 61 (2011) 125-131

Rowe, P, Austin, T, and Atkinson, T. (1988). Quaternary evolution of the British south Pennines from uranium series and palaeomagnetic data. Ann. Soc. Geol. Belg. Vol. 111:1 p97-106

Soressi, M., McPherron, S.P., Lenoir, M., Dogandžić, T., Goldberg, P., Jacobs, Z., Maigrot, Y., Martisius, N.L., Miller, C.E., Rendu, W. and Richards, M., 2013. Neandertals made the first specialized bone tools in Europe. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(35), pp.14186-14190.

Verna, C. and d’Errico, F., 2011. The earliest evidence for the use of human bone as a tool. Journal of human evolution, 60(2), pp.145-157.

Wenban‐Smith, F.F., Bates, M.R. and Schwenninger, J.L., 2010. Early Devensian (MIS 5d–5b) occupation at Dartford, southeast England. Journal of Quaternary Science, 25(8), pp.1193-1199.

Wilson, G. H. (1934) Cave Hunting Holidays in Peakland.

Wonders of the Peak (2020) at: https://www.wondersofthepeak.org.uk/facts/don-bramwell-the-archaeological-artist/ accessed 10.06.20