Rawthey Cave film (Wild Boar Fell)

Pitlamp

Well-known member
In the late 1990s Cave Diving Group members Phil Murphy and Andy Goddard passed some sumps in Rawthey Cave and discovered a large chamber, containing many human bones. The bones were neatly stacked, which led them to identify (and briefly open) a dry entrance.

A film was then made by the BBC as one episode of the "Meet The Ancestors" series, in which facial reconstruction allowed a model of a head to be made from fragments of the bronze age skull bones. I think it was screened in 1998.

Does anyone know of a link where this episode can be viewed online? (I've tried a quick search but not turned anything up.)
 

Frog2

Member
Not much use ...if the link works - but currently not available on iPlayer.

https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=14582.0

The Wolf Den
Meet the AncestorsSeries 1 Episode 1 of 6
Archaelogical programme unearthing past secrets. Potholers in the Yorkshire Dales stumble upon the remains of human burials as well as prehistoric footprints in a cave. Julian Richards joins the experts to discover more.
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Thanks Frog2 - yes; I came across that one with my search. Pity it's not available on there; it was an interesting film.

Anyone else got any ideas?
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Yes, I tried YT. No luck with searches such as "Meet the Ancestors" or "Rawthey Cave".

Searching in YT on the film title "The Wolf Den" takes me to Call of Duty links and other random stuff.

 

Mrs Trellis

Well-known member
Try contacting Prof. Julian C. Richards - his email is/was Julian@archaemedia.co.uk.

His twitter account has been dormant since 2014 and he says he doesn't use Facebook.
 

mikem

Well-known member
That website is from 2013, so may or may not be current details. (Don't confuse him with Prof. Julian D. Richards of York Uni - his middle initial is C.)

It doesn't even seem to be available on DVD, but he did write a book that includes it:
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?an=Richards&bi=0&bx=off&cm_sp=SearchF-_-Advtab1-_-Results&ds=20&recentlyadded=all&sortby=17&sts=t&tn=Meet%20the%20ancestors
 

Mrs Trellis

Well-known member
That's where I found it  8).

It may not be active now as he seems to have retired somewhat. Still if it bounces back it's not cost a lot.
 

Andy C

New member
I was at the excavation in 1997 but unfortunately do not have a copy of the video.  There was also a short film on BBC's Inside Out, broadcast in spring 2008, when the skull was repatriated to join its relatives in the cave.
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Transferring from VHS to digital isn't quite as simple as hoped during lockdown - does anyone have a digital copy?
 
Pitlamp said:
Transferring from VHS to digital isn't quite as simple as hoped during lockdown - does anyone have a digital copy?

I have access to a VHS dvd recorder that can transfer the footage to DVD.
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
It wasn't made available online, if that's what you mean. A copy was made for someone else who was really interested.

 

Naomi

New member
professor warthog said:
I have just found a VHS recording of the episode hidden in a box in the cellar. I will try and get it transferred to a usable format.

I feel a bit of a fraud for joining the site as I am in no way a caver, but I was also part of the excavation team in 1997.  Rawthey Cave and a similar dig at Carsington mark the extremes of my underground adventures!  I've sent you an email in the hope that I can get a copy of the Wolf Den episode.  Happy to pay any costs involved  :)
 
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