Building record MAB5280 - COVESEA CAVE

Two formerly inhabited caves at NJ17427062 and NJ17457066.

Two formerly inhabited caves at NJ17427062 and NJ17457066. Excavation has revealed layers from the Bronze Age to Post-Roman periods, which indicate use for funerary practices in the Late Bronze Age. They lie circa 100 m west of Sculptors' Cave (NJ17SE0001). Excavation was carried out in the Cave 2 (to the southwest, also known as Deer Cave) in 2014 by University of Bradford to assess whether the cave contained any anthropogenic deposits. Three trenches were excavated. Trench 3 over a surface uncovered a subsurface hearth and 1990 newspaper cutting attesting to the high rate of erosion and sand deposition at the front of the cave. Trench 1 produced 46 fragments of human bone and a bone pin. Trench 2 yielded 73 fragments of human bone, and artefacts including a Late Bronze Age disc-headed pin, a bone needle, a crucible fragment and a sherd of later prehistoric pottery. Laser scanning of both caves was carried out by University of Bradford in 2014, and further excavation carried out in 2015. The earliest activity in the cave dates from the Neolithic, with the earliest evidence for funerary activity from the Early Bronze Age. The main period of funerary activity dates to the Late Bronze Age, including distinct floors and hearths, and large numbers of fragmentary human bone. A small, ephemeral structure of probable Iron Age date is of uncertain function. Cave 2 appears to have served as an excarnation site during the Late Bronze Age and possibly the Early Bronze Age. A programme of excavation and terrestrial laser scanning was carried out in Cave 1 in May-June 2018 as part of the Covesea Caves Project. Two trenches were excavated towards the rear of the cave, targeting areas disturbed by earlier excavations. Trench 1 recorded both the edge of the earlier excavation and undisturbed deposits which provide evidence for a significant episode of human activity. These comprised anthropogenic deposits bounded by linear features comprising a posthole and robbed out stone alignment. This activity seems to have included a burning event which may have resulted in collapse of the structure associated with these features. Trench 2 revealed that the earlier work has disturbed a complex suite of archaeological features. An initial phase of human activity was sealed by a layer of decayed sandstone above which was a second episode of human activity associated with a hearth and numerous stakeholes. Two bone pins were found associated with these deposits. These were in turn succeeded by a stone alignment which appears to be the west part of a stone-footed structure lying to the east of the trench. The artefact material is undiagnostic for dating. Few artefacts were recovered form the trenches. Sieving of spoil heaps from the previous excavations recovered a small amount of material including objects of bone, ceramics, and a quantity of burnt and vitrified material including crucible fragments and pieces of furnace lining. Further work was carried out in 2018 as part of the Covesea Caves Project. Excavation and laser scanning was carried out in Cave 2 in May - June 2018 , prompted by the discovery in 2017 of a new chamber (the Wolf Chamber) at the rear of Cave 2, and accessed via a low passage. The floor of the chamber had been recently disturbed near the entrance but the interior seemed relatively intact, retaining a surface scatter of animal remains including seal and possibly wolf as well as domesticates. Excavation in the main chamber recorded evidence for probable Bronze Age funerary activity close to the surface, including human remains and objects of copper alloy, worked bone, flint and quartz. Although there was some recent disturbance, the in situ Bronze Age deposits included stakeholes and a small pit filled with animal and bird bone. Excavation in the Wolf Chamber revealed a series of anthropogenic deposits, and recovered both human and animal bones suggesting it was used both for mortuary activity and the processing and/or consumption of animals. The only other finds were a small assemblage of pottery. In Cave 1 two trenches were targeted at old excavation trenches to better contextualise assemblages In Elgin Museum purportedly from this cave, No human bone or flint was found in the 2018 investigation, although a series of stakeholes, a hearth, a possible wall alignment and extensive spreads of anthropogenic material point to considerable human activity within the cave. A small assemblage of vitrified material which may be associated with metalworking was recovered from an extant spoil heap that surrounded the earlier excavation trenches.

Period Notes
Radiocarbon dates from samples from 2014 investigations - Cave 1: SUERC-61925 (GU-38272), tooth, 3731+/-36 BP, calibrated to 2278-2027 BC at 2 sigma. Cave 2: SUERC-61926 (GU-38273), bone, 2849+/-36 BP, calibrated to 1118 - 916 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-61927 (GU-38274) bone, 2846+-/-36 BP, calibrated to 1116 - 915 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-61928 (GU-38275), bone 2796+/-36 BP, calibrated to 1042 - 842 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-61929 (GU-38276), bone, 2829+/-36 BP, calibrated to 1110 - 903 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-61930 (GU38277), bone, 3767+/-36, calibrated to 2294 - 2041 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-61934 (GU-38278), bone - gull, 4908+/-36, calibrated to 3766-3640 BC at 2 sigma. Cave 2 - SUERC-69070, human bone, 3614+/-33 BP, calibrated to 2119-1888 BC; SUERC-68715, human bone, 2738+/-29 BP, calibrated to 970-816 BC; SUERC-68716, human bone, 2757+/- 29 BP, calibrated to 977-829 BC. One of caves (not identified): SUERC-68713, human bone, 2758+/-29 BP, calibrated to 978-830 BC; SUERC-68714, human bone, 2714+/-29 BP, calibrated to 911-810 BC.

KEILLAR, I, 1969, DES, 34, 34 (Bibliographic reference). SAB975.

BUSTER, L, 2014, THE COVESEA CAVES PROJECT: EXCAVATIONS AND ASSOCIATED FIELDWORK DATA STRUCTURE REPORT, DSR (Bibliographic reference). SAB3786.

ARCAHEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2015, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND. NEW SERIES, VOLUME 15, 2014, pp134-5 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5542.

BUSTER, L, 2016, THE COVESEA CAVES PROJECT: FIELDWORK 2015 DATA STRUCTURE REPORT, Excavation DSR (Bibliographic reference). SAB3794.

BUTSER, L, 2017, THE COVESEA CAVES PROJECT - POST EXCAVATION PROJECT DESIGN (OCTOBER 2017) (Bibliographic reference). SAB3822.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2019, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 19, 2018, pp.140-1 (Bibliographic reference). SAB6524.

BUSTER, L, 2019, THE COVESEA CAVES PROJECT FIELDWORK 2018: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT, DSR (Bibliographic reference). SAB3809.

SCAPE , 2023, COASTAL ZONE ASSESSMENT SURVEY MORAY: CULBIN TO CULLEN, ID 14220 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4861.

Jan 1 1976 , AAS/GR/76/45-47, AAS/GR/76/45-47 (Ground Photograph). SAB32427.

Record last edited

Mar 28 2024 12:12PM