24 Hour Museum - official guide to UK museums, galleries, exhibitions and heritage
Gateway to Over 3,000 UK museums, galleries and heritage attractions
Skip to navigation
Plymouth's Cattedown Skull Gets Some TLC At The Natural History Museum
By 24 Hour Museum Staff
21/11/2007
Image: a photograph of a skull
The ancient skull and jaw was discovered in the Cattedown caves near Plymouth. © Plymouth City Museum
An ancient skull and jaw discovered in the Cattedown caves near Plymouth are currently being restored at the Natural History Museum thanks to an award from the Preservation of Industrial and Scientific (PRISM) Grant Fund.
The work will focus on repairing the fragile skull and jaw originally excavated in 1886-7 from the Worth's Bone Caves in Cattedown, Plymouth, a little known site that contains remains dating to the Ice Age.
Both specimens are currently in a fragile state as the glue holding them together is deteriorating while the bone material itself is extremely brittle.
“The skull and jaw are being taken apart, the old adhesive will removed and the bone fragments stabilised,” said Jan Freedman, Assistant Keeper of Natural History at the museum. “They will then be put back together again and suitably mounted for storage, transportation and display purposes.”
Upon their return to Plymouth, the skull and jaw will be prepared for display and will feature in one of the new galleries that will open at the Museum in 2008 after it has refurbished.
Image: a photo of a man working at a desk on a skull
The skull and jaw are being taken apart, the old adhesive will removed and the bone fragments stabilised. © Plymouth City Museum
After being excavated in 1886-7, the skull and jaw were initially donated to the Plymouth Athenaeum, before being officially placed on loan with the Museum when the theatre was bombed in 1941, and subsequently transferred to the museum’s ownership.
“Bones from the caves were rescued from the burnt rubble of the Athenaeum during the Blitz,” added Mr Freedman. “Hundreds of fragments were recovered, representing at least 11 humans. Dr Simon Underdown of Oxford Brookes University has managed to match one of the few unburnt teeth to the damaged jaw and successfully dated the assemblage.”
The material from the caves is probably the largest collection of early human remains found in the UK and, once they’re properly researched, it is hoped they will reveal a great deal about some of Western Europe’s earliest people.
Image: a photograph of a skull
The skull and jaw are being taken apart, the old adhesive will removed and the bone fragments stabilised© Plymouth City Museum
Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery holds several examples of early material of human origin from Worth's Bone Caves, including remains of deer, wolves, birds, pigs, rabbits, badgers, bison and oxen.
English Heritage have recently (June 2004) re-examined the original cave site and are proposing an extension of the ancient monument to cover a larger area. Additional rifts containing animal remains have been identified and, as a result, the whole of the site is being re-exposed and re-examined during 2007-2008.
Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery
Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AJ, Devon, England
Open: Tuesdays-Fridays 10am to 5.30pm
Saturdays & Bank Holiday Mondays 10am to 5pm
(Please note that the Museum is currently undergoing a refurbishment programme and not all the galleries will be open - please check the website for details)
Closed: Sundays and Mondays
Natural History Museum, London
The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, England
T: 020 7942 5000
Open: 10.00-17.50 daily
Last admission is 17.30
Closed: Closed on 24, 25 and 26 December ONLY
Related Articles
Open Air Lab Project Launches At The Natural History Museum
Climatic Changes And Loss Of Habitat Caused Cave Bear Extinction
Wildlife Photographer Of The Year At Natural History Museum
Darwin And His Big Idea At The Natural History Museum London
Grants Encourage Links Between Museum Curators And Artists In The Southwest
New Darwin Centre Set To Welcome 2,500 Visitors Per Day
Natural Selection Given Birthday Display At The Natural History Museum
E-news registration
E-mail story to a friend
Tell us what you think
National Portrait Gallery Acquires Tudor Double Portrait
Sheffield Metal Master Wins Museum's Inaugural Design Award
DCMS Launches Consultation Into The Future Of World Heritage Sites
A Selection Of Festive Fairs - Fun Days and Exhibitions
Royal Society Announces Plans For 350th Anniversary
Art Website ArtisanCam Wins Coveted Children's BAFTA
Former Floorboards Of Founding Father Franklin Facilitate Funny Four
Mark Leckey Wins The 2008 Turner Prize And Scoops £25,000
Library Thief Update: Sentencing Adjourned Until January 16, 2009
Fund Aims To Realise Long-Standing Campaign For Cardiff City Museum
Culture Secretary Slaps Export Ban On George I Chandelier
Shakespeare's Globe Costumes Go On Show In Nottingham
Britglyph Art Campaign Uses Web To Make Mass Geoglyph
Inaugural Awards Ceremony Honours UK Arts Philanthropists
Rare Silver Cup Commemorating Coronation Of Charles II Is Saved For The Nation
London Fire Brigade Museum Escapes Closure - For Now
Another Busy Year For Archaeology On Orkney In 2008
Severndroog Castle To Be Restored Thanks To Lottery Grant
Search this site
Home Page
News Page
Exhibition Page
What's On
Trails Page
Website of the Week
Letters Page
Welsh Home
Graphical Version
Copyright © 24 Hour Museum
Information published here was believed to be correct at the time it was prepared. Welsh language pages developed with CYMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.