A new Ossiferous Fissure in Creswell Crags

Abstract

The fissure explored by the Authors is about 30 feet above the level of the artificial lake at Creswell Crags. At the top occurred a white earth (with human and other remains), passing down into a red sand with remains of fox, badger, roe-deer, and other mammals. Beneath the latter deposit, and separated from it by a fairly sharp line of demarcation, came the cave-earth proper, with Palæolithic implements and bones of Rhinoceros tichorhinus, Bison priscus, Ursus spelæus, Hyæna crocuta var. spelæa , and Cervus tarandus . The Authors suppose that this cave-earth is derived from an older deposit and has been transported to its present place by water, though there is evidence that the transport has been from no great distance. Consequently they followed the fissure inwards, until brought to a stop by a mass of travertine, which they penetrated with a small hole. They hope to explore the fissure beyond this travertine on a future occasion.