Heathery Burn Cave facts for kids
 Location in County Durham
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| Location | near Stanhope, County Durham |
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| Region | North East |
| Coordinates | 54°45′56″N 2°01′15″W / 54.765549°N 2.0207943°W |
| Type | Bronze Age Cave and hoard |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | William Greenwell |
| Public access | Site removed by quarrying |
Heathery Burn Cave was a special cave in County Durham, England. It was located near a town called Stanhope. During the Late Bronze Age, people used this cave.
Archaeologists found a huge collection of ancient items here. These included weapons, tools, and ornaments. The discoveries were made between 1859 and 1872.
Contents
Where Was Heathery Burn Cave Located?
The cave was in a deep valley, also known as a ravine. This valley was carved by a small stream called Stanhope Burn. This stream flows into the larger River Wear.
The cave was about one mile north of where the stream meets the river. Its floor was about 10 feet (3 meters) above the stream. Before it was destroyed, the cave was a popular place for visitors. Sadly, the cave was later removed due to limestone quarrying. Quarrying is when stone is dug out of the ground.
What Was the Geology of the Area?
The rocks in this area are part of the Yoredale Group. This group mainly consists of limestone. It also has layers of sandstone and clay-like rocks called argillaceous rocks.
How Was the Cave Discovered?
People first found ancient items in the cave around the 1750s or 1760s. However, the full importance of the site became clear much later. Most of the amazing finds happened in the second half of the 1800s. This was because of the quarrying work happening there.
An archaeologist named William Greenwell carefully recorded and listed the finds. He worked on this between 1859 and 1872. Greenwell called it "one of the most valuable discoveries ever made in Britain." He was talking about the weapons, tools, and ornaments from the Bronze Age.
Today, the objects from Heathery Burn Cave are in different museums. The largest collection is at the British Museum. Other items are kept at the Ashmolean Museum and the Yorkshire Museum. Not many Bronze Age items have been found in the Weardale area. Heathery Burn Cave is a very special site.
What Was Found in Heathery Burn Cave?
More than 200 objects from the Late Bronze Age were found in Heathery Burn Cave. These finds tell us a lot about the people who lived there.
Gold Objects
Only two gold items were found. One was a bracelet. The other was a unique ornament shaped like a half-ring. People in Britain started working with gold early in the Bronze Age.
Copper Alloy Items
Many weapons and tools made from copper alloy were discovered. This group of items makes up most of the collection. It includes:
- Socketed axeheads (axe heads with a hole for a handle)
- Spearheads
- Casting moulds (used to shape metal)
- Fittings (parts for other objects)
- Rings
- Swords
- A bucket
Ceramic Pottery
Many small pieces of pottery were found in the cave. William Greenwell noted that pottery was found everywhere. Sadly, most of these broken pieces were not saved. This means we don't know the full amount of pottery from the cave. We also don't know exactly where each piece was found.
Bone Tools and Ornaments
People also made tools and ornaments from bone. These included:
- Spatulas (flat tools)
- Toggles (fasteners)
- A handle made from red deer antler
- Pendants made from horse and dog teeth
- Pointed tools made from sheep leg bones or roe deer foot bones
They even used shells as pendants. These shells came from dog whelks and periwinkles. This shows that people brought items from the coast to the cave. Human remains were also found in the cave.
Flint Tools
Only a few tools made from flint were found. Out of 196 objects at the British Museum from the cave, only four are flint. These include one arrowhead with barbs and a tang (a pointed part for attaching to a shaft). The other three are simple flint flakes.
