Book Review: Beyond the Ice: Creswell Crags and its place in a wider European co Cave Derbyshire

Submitted by coldrum on Sunday, 16 February 2014 Page Views: 6922

Country: England County: Derbyshire Type: Cave or Rock Shelter

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**Church Hole** submitted by Andy B : Ice Age engraving of an ibex with superimposed outline by archeaologist Dr Sergio Ripoll Discovered at the caves at Creswell Crags, Derbyshire. Photo credit: Creswell Heritage Trust (Vote or comment on this photo)

Beyond the Ice: Creswell Crags and Its Place in a Wider European Context by Matthew Beresford Creswell Crags is one of the most important Palaeolithic sites in Britain. It was thought at one time that there was a Creswellian culture based on the tool types found in the caves. The author shows that far from being a separate culture, the inhabitants of Creswell Crags were probably a hunter gathering group from mainland Europe that migrated to the Creswell region, following game animals.

That the caves had some significance to these people is shown by the cave art that was discovered in some of the caves in 2003. A chapter of the book is devoted to this important discovery. Creswell was the first site with cave art to have been found in the UK. A possible site has recently been found in Wales. Among the art found are a depiction of a stag, bovid, possibly some birds and maybe stylised female bodies. This chapter has illustrations and a few photographs of the cave art.

As well as writing about the Homo Sapiens occupation of the caves, mention is made of the Neanderthal presence. This goes back 60,000 years. The author’s opinion based on archaeological evidence is that the Neanderthal inhabitants stayed in the area as opposed to the later Homo Sapiens who exploited the area at certain times.

The material remains are mostly stone and antler tools although a few fragmentary human remains have been found. Also found were many faunal remains which have shown the fluctuating climate in the area at the various times that the caves were inhabited. As well as the caves, finds from the surrounding area are also discussed as is the development of Creswell as a Heritage site.

The book, although only 103 pages long is a good read. The author writes in an interesting and informative way, starting at the earliest excavations of the caves in the 1870’s, explaining the finds, their significance and parallels with the continent. The photographs and illustrations are well done and informative. The Palaeolithic era is very often forgotten, when prehistory is mentioned, people think Stonehenge. Yet the prehistory of the UK of course stretches further back than this.

“Beyond the Ice” highlights an interesting part of our history. Hopefully it will inspire people to find out more about this often neglected period of prehistory.

Review by Coldrum

Beyond the Ice: Creswell Crags and Its Place in a Wider European Context by Matthew Beresford
Paperback: 113 pages
Publisher: Archaeopress, March 2012
ISBN: 1905739508
Available from Amazon.co.uk

[Runemage suggests that you might also like to read this vitriolic review by Paul G. Bahn and Paul Pettitt, published by the Prehistoric Society, who say the book is full of errors and that the author has "helped himself liberally to our work"".] (PDF)

Contributor Bio for coldrum: Based in Milkyway, contributing since 2002. Favourite site: Avebury.

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