Eldon Hole Dig

Fatman

Member
Hi Badgers, Just wandering if the Eldon Hole dig is continuing as there hasn't been any updates for ages.  Cheers
 

Mark Wright

Active member
Its been put on hold by NE due to us finding the bones of what turned out to be 4 x humans!!

The results from the first batch of testing took us all by surprise. We were expecting them to be about 250 years old, they turned out to be over 2000 years old!!!

We are currently waiting on the outcome of some further testing before the 'powers that be' decide if the dig can continue, considering the age of the remains and the number of humans. We should know by October.

Eldon Hole is still open and all the up pitches were only recently re-rigged with new (ish) ropes and anchors. If you go down to look at the dig face just avoid disturbing anything at the bottom.

Mark
 

pwhole

Well-known member
Awesome - 2000 years is going to cause a kerfuffle! It's definitely not the highwayman then. But I suspect these negotiations may take some time, which isn't that great for the dig itself I guess...;:
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Aha - well, if you've got late iron age remains, that means you've now advanced by 2000 years of folk chucking stuff down. I'd say that was good progress.

Best of luck with the negotiations; such things are always frustrating but worth dealing with properly in the long run. Reckon this dig's got to be a winner.
 

2xw

Active member
Pitlamp said:
Reckon this dig's got to be a winner.

Nah, we're gunna beat them through P8. Once we break into New Man's Rift, this will end up in OFD-style stomping passage. We will pass the gautries inlet before running on towards Peak. At one point on our right will be a massive boulder choke with some bones and burned goose feathers sticking out of it. I intend to leave a cardboard cutout there of me lassoing a badger.

Anyways good work folks, really interesting to see the stuff coming out of it
 

SamT

Moderator
2xw said:
Nah, we're gunna beat them through P8. Once we break into New Man's Rift, this will end up in OFD-style stomping passage. We will pass the gautries inlet before running on towards Peak. At one point on our right will be a massive boulder choke with some bones and burned goose feathers sticking out of it. I intend to leave a cardboard cutout there of me lassoing a badger.

:LOL:
 

Tommy

Active member
Mrs Trellis said:
I wonder if the bodies were intentionally dropped down the hole as part of a ritual like the bog bodies.

Let's ask them once they clamber out.
 

Roger W

Well-known member
Could they be some early cavers who abbed down (rope wrapped round torso and thigh, etc.) then realized when they got to the bottom that prussiking hadn't been invented yet?

Or could they have been chucked down by an irate iron age farmer for failing to pay the trespass fee?
 

Fatman

Member
Thanks for the info Mark. I hope there is a breakthrough before I get too old and even fatter. Judging by the responses there is a lot of interest in this dig.
 

AR

Well-known member
Iron Age was about where John Barnatt and I reckoned the dates would come back for the bones, though that  means there might be another millennium or two of people chucked down there still to dig through!
 
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