Kendrick's Cave facts for kids
The Kendrick's Cave Decorated Horse Jaw
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 Location in Wales
Location in the United Kingdom
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| Location | on the Great Orme |
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| Region | Llandudno, Wales |
| Coordinates | 53°19′40″N 3°49′58″W / 53.32778°N 3.83278°W |
| Type | limestone massif |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1880 |
| Archaeologists | Thomas Kendrick |
Kendrick's Cave is a special place on the Great Orme in Llandudno, Wales. It's a small, natural cave that became famous because of amazing discoveries made there in 1880. These finds help us learn about people and animals from a very long time ago.
Contents
What is Kendrick's Cave?
Kendrick's Cave is a small cave found on the south side of the Great Orme Head. The Great Orme is a big limestone hill that sticks out into the sea near Llandudno. It's a natural spot that was once hidden away.
Amazing Discoveries Inside
The cave was discovered by a man named Thomas Kendrick in 1880. He was a lapidary, which means he worked with precious stones. Thomas was clearing out a cave in his garden to make his workshop bigger. While he was digging, he found some incredible things!
His discoveries included:
- A decorated horse jaw. This is a very rare and important piece of ancient art.
- Flint artefacts. These are tools or objects made from flint stone, used by early humans.
- Bear teeth. Some of these teeth had holes in them, suggesting they were used as beads or pendants.
- Human and animal bones. These bones give us clues about the creatures and people who lived in or near the cave.
What the Bones Tell Us
Scientists have studied the human bones found in Kendrick's Cave. They discovered that the people who lived there ate a lot of seafood. This tells us about their diet and how they found food. The presence of human bones also suggests that the cave was likely a burial site. This means it was a place where people laid their dead to rest, rather than just a place where they camped.
Bringing the Finds Together
For a long time, the items found in Kendrick's Cave were spread out in different places. But recently, a big project brought them all back together. This project involved several important groups, including:
- The British Museum
- The Field Club
- Llandudno Museum and Archives
- Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Historical Society
- The National Museum of Wales
- Oxford and Bradford Universities
By working together, these groups helped reunite all the amazing finds from Kendrick's Cave. This allows researchers to study them more easily and learn even more about this important ancient site.
