568 Br. H. Hicks — The Ffynnon Beano and Cae Gunjn Caves. 



Among the remains discovered in these two caverns up to the 

 commencement of the work this year there were over eighty jaws 

 belonging to various animals, and more than 1300 loose teeth, in- 

 cluding about 400 Rhinoceros, 15 Mammoth, 180 Hyjena, and 500 

 Horse teeth. Other bones and fragments of bones occurred also in 

 very great abundance. Several flint implements, including flakes, 

 scrapers, and lance-heads, were found in association with the bones. 

 The most important evidence, however, obtained in previous re- 

 searches was that bearing on the physical changes to which the area 

 must have been subjected since the caverns were occupied by the 

 animals. During the excavations it became clear that the bones had 

 been greatly disturbed by water action, that the stalagmite floor, in 

 parts more than a foot in thickness, and massive stalactites had also 

 been broken and thrown about in all positions, and that these had 

 been covered afterwards by clays and sand containing foreign peb- 

 bles. This seemed to prove that the caverns, now 400 feet above 

 Ordnance datum, must have been submerged subsequently to their 

 occupation by the animals and by Man. One of the principal objects, 

 therefore, which the Committee had in view this year was to critically 

 examine those portions of the, caverns not previously explored, so as 

 to endeavour to arrive at the true cause of the peculiar conditions 

 observed. Work was commenced at the end of May, and carried on 

 during the whole of June and parts of July and August. 



Cae Gwyn Cave. 



When the explorations were suspended last year, it was supposed 

 that we had just reached a chamber of considerable size, but after a 

 few days' work this year it was found that what appeared to be 

 a chamber was a gradual widening of the cavern towards a covered 

 entrance. The position of this entrance greatly surprised us, as 

 hitherto we had believed that we were gradually getting further into 

 the limestone hill. The rise in the field at this point, however, 

 proved to be composed of a considerable thickness of glacial deposits 

 heaped up against a limestone cliff. As the materials covering the 

 bone-earth within and at the entrance were chiefly sands and gravels, 

 it was found necessary to suspend operations in that direction and to 

 ask the landlord (E. Morgan, Esq.) for permission to open a shaft 

 directly over this entrance from the field above. As this necessi- 

 tated the removal of a considerable surface of land, and caused some 

 damage to the field, the Committee feel that their special thanks are 

 due to Mr. Morgan for his kindness in so readily acceding to their 

 application. This shaft, as at first opened, was about nine feet 

 across at the surface and over five feet at the bottom. It was sub- 

 sequently widened at the bottom in consequence of some falls and 

 the lower part, excepting at one point, had to be carefully faced with 

 timber. The upper part is now much widened and sloped. The 

 shaft was about twenty feet in depth, and the deposits as shown in 

 Fig. 1 were made out in it. These were carefully measured by Mr. 

 C. E. de Ranee, F.G.S., Mr. Luxmoore, and the writer during the 

 prosecution of the work. Below the soil, for about eight feet, a 



