Archaeology Notes

Event ID 717012

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/717012

NT39NW 11 3356 9611.

A short distance east of Glass Cave (NT39NW 6) was a small cave about 25' above high-water mark. In 1929 a set of new boilers for the Michael Colliery was being installed over the cave. When the cave walls were laid bare, a number of sculpturings were discovered.

One of these as a cup-and -ring marking of the Bronze Age, consisting of 2 cups and 2 concentric rings. The other sculpturing which covered an area of about 3'9" x 3', was situated about 3' to the right, and was not easily deciphered. It has been suggested that it represented an elk being hunted by a man. In clearing the floor of the cave, shells, bones,fragments of medieval pottery, a stone whorl, and 3 stone pounders were found. The cave was soon afterwards filled in with concrete.

A J H Edwards 1933; V G Childe 1935.

NT 3356 9611. Sited from enquiries made at the colliery.

Visited by OS (J F C) 6 October 1954.

Michael Cave, (after Michael Colliery) is in the centre of the boilers of the Michael Pit and is filled up with concrete. The latest date scratched on the walls is 1690. The National Museum of Antiquities and Kirkcaldy Museum have carvings and castings.

Visited by OS Assistant Archaeology Officer (A L F R) 19 February 1960.