88 JONES : EXPLORATION OF A C AVE AT ELBOLTON, NEAR THORPE. 
The exploration so far is but a preliminary one ; we thought it 
desirable to get to the base of the upper cave-earth by cutting this 
trench, and as we have not reached that point, our report must be 
very incomplete ; the deposit is geologically a recent one. The 
probability of coming to pre-glacial deposits with remains of older 
cave fauna, the cave bear, the mannnoth and their associates is remote. 
Yet, there may be a possibility that those may have been entrapped 
and preserved even here, if this cave was an open one at that 
early period. 
So far the exploration has been interesting, even in its negative 
results ; "\ve are unable to state that the cave was ever inhabited by 
man, and until yesterday I despaired of finding human workmanship. 
No celts or flints came to hand, not even a bare bodkin, I was going 
to say, when a loosened stone revealed two bone instruments that could 
have been used as bodkins ; as to their true character, I leave that 
to those better informed. On carefully washing my treasures yesterday 
morning I found I had three pieces of early pottery, their inner sides 
are rough and black but the outer sides are smoother and brown, 
with ornamentation of diagonal lines intersecting one another. On 
the first visit, what seemed to be charred bones were found ; they 
were put into a parcel, but the parcel was lost in the cave, and the 
fact of the bones being really charred cannot be ascertained. 
Most likely the pots are portions of cooking vessels and a further 
search may bring to light the cooking-place, together with the usual 
pot boilers. Bones are scattered throughout the mass, most of them 
having been broken by fragments of roof falling on them, and some 
by man or ravenous beasts. 
The list of the animals found in the trench is a tolerably large 
one, and subject to emendations and additions when the bones and 
teeth are properly examined, I offer the following as the list of 
animal remains obtained from Elbolton Cave : — Man, horse, ox, sheep, 
dog, fox, badger, pig, wild boar, red deer, rat, water rat, mouse, 
shrew, and three species of birds. 
The thanks of the Craven Naturalists are specially due to Mr. 
Kelsall, the owner of the land, for permission to enter thereon 
and explore the cave. 
