The sediments of Kirkhead Cave, a truncated phreatic conduit in the Morecambe Bay karst of northern England, have been investigated by scanning electron microscopic, granulometric, petrographic, palynologic and stratigraphic methods. These show that almost all the deposits in the cave are glacigenic sediments, reworked into the cave by a variety of transporting agencies. Investigation of the deposits by radiometric, magnetostratigraphic and biostratigraphic methods suggests that the fill represents a near-continuum of deposition from at least pollen zone III of the Late-glacial until modern times. Within the deposits is evidence of use of the cave by man from later upper palaeolithic (Creswellian) times onwards. However, no definite evidence has been found of later upper palaeolithic use of the cave prior to the middle of pollen zone III. It is therefore suggested that the occupation of marginal areas of upper palaeolithic colonization, such as the far north of northern England, after the last glaciation may have taken place somewhat later than has previously been recognized. 15. S. J. Gale and C. O. Hunt, STRATIGRAPHY OF KIRKHEAD CAVE EAST WEST Pre -19th century excavation level | I Stalagmite 5m
Existing hypotheses concerning the speed and timing of the recolonisation of Britain by man after the last glaciation have largely been developed in the absence of securely‐dated Later Upper Palaeolithic (LUP) sites in the marginal areas of colonisation. In Kirkhead Cave, the most important LUP site in northern England, palynological, molluscan and palaeomagnetic evidence indicate that LUP occupation did not commence until mid‐pollen zone III of the Late‐glacial. This suggests later and slower colonisation of marginal areas than indicated by previous hypotheses.
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