Bone Cave
Banwell Bone Cave is 100 metres (328 ft) long and 20 m (66 ft) deep. The Bone Cavern itself is 8 m (26 ft) high and wide and 20 m long. It is approached through an early 19th century archway. It contains an assemblage of bones of mammals (including bear, deer, ox, bison and reindeer) from the Pleistocene era (approximately 80,000 years ago). The cave has a large hole in the roof and is believed to have been used as a pitfall trap.
The Bone Cave was discovered in 1824 during attempts to drive a horizontal passage into the Stalactite Cave. Archaeological excavation was carried out by William Beard, with some of the bones being removed but many being left in the cave in stacks.
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