The Archaeology of Caves in the Peak District
Conservation Audit of Archaeological Cave Resources in the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales
There is a public meeting to be held at the Medway Community Centre, New Street, Bakewell, Derbyshire on Monday 9th February 2004 at 7 pm.
The meeting is to allow interested members of the public a chance to meet us and to share our collective knowledge about the caves of the Peak District.
Archaeological remains, such as pottery, metalwork, stone tools and bones, are often preserved within deposits in natural caves, fissures and rock shelters. However, caves that contain archaeological remains are vulnerable to intrusive disturbance, and it is often not known which caves in a region are likely to contain archaeologically important material and whether the archaeological deposits are adequately protected for future generations.
The project is being funded by English Heritage and is based at the Universities of Sheffield and Bradford and the worked is being carried out by ARCUS, the archaeology consultancy unit at Sheffield. The aims of the study are to assess the archaeological potential, current management and potential threats to the integrity of deposits in archaeological caves within the National Parks.
The project team are particularly keen to involve members of the public in this study. For this reason, the project team are organising separate public meetings in the Peak District and in the Yorkshire Dales, at which archaeologists, cavers and representatives of conservation organisations and interested parties can discuss the project and provide suggestions for ways in which our knowledge of cave archaeology can be improved.
Contact Details
I would like to involve as many people in the consultation and if further details are needed or that you have information that you think would be helpful to us, please contact Helen at [email protected] or telephone (0114) 222 2934