Gough's Cave

Gough's Cave is located in Cheddar Gorge on the Mendip Hills, in Cheddar, Somerset, England. The cave is convert|90|m|ft|0 deep and is convert|2.135|km|mi|2 long, [cite web | title=Mendip | work=UK and Ireland Cave Lengths and Depths |url=http://www.ukcaves.co.uk/tables.php?region=2&length_depth=length | accessdate=2007-01-15] and contains a variety of large chambers and rock formations

Gough's Cave was discovered in 1890 by Richard Cox Gough.cite web | url= http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/technology/technology.html?in_article_id=475286&in_page_id=1965 | title= Prehistoric cave carving hailed as 'one of most significant examples ever found in Britain' | date= 14 August 2007 | work= Daily Mail | accessdate= 2007-08-22] Richard Cox Gough lived in Cheddar in Lion House, and used to give tours around smaller caves for money. His children used to use the front part of the cave as aplayground. He discovered Gough's Cave by falling through the top while, allegedly, chasing his pet monkey.

In 2007 a carving of a mammoth, estimated to be 13,000 years old, was found in the cave.

Cheddar Man

In this cave the Cheddar Man was discovered. It is the name given to the remains of a human male found in Gough’s Cave. The remains date to approximately 7150 BCE, and it appears that he died a violent death, perhaps related to the cannibalism practiced in the area. He is Britain’s oldest complete human skeleton. The remains were discovered in 1903, [cite web | url= http://piclib.nhm.ac.uk/piclib/www/image.php?search=cave&getnext=89335 | work= Natural History Museum | title= Gough's Cave excavation | accessdate= 2007-08-22 ] and currently reside in the Natural History Museum in London, with a replica in the "Cheddar Man and the Cannibals" museum in the gorge.

References

See also

* Caves of the Mendip Hills

External links

* [http://www.showcaves.com/english/gb/showcaves/CheddarOldham.html The Caves of Cheddar Gorge by Tony Oldham]