RED LADY OF PAVILAND:

Would you believe it...she is actually a he and it seems HIS skeleton is now
going to be returning to Wales. The Red Man of Paviland has been in the news
this week and to celebrate we decided to add him to our Hall of Fame - after all
who could be more famous than one of the first examples of modern man. For those
of you the don't know the story - have a look here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southwest/halloffame/innovators/ladypaviland.shtml

Thats a pity, it was quite interesting to see it in the Oxford Natural History museum!

Tony, where in that story does it say that the remains are going to be sent to anywhere in Wales?  :-\

Second paragraph  :read:

It remained there until 2006 when it was agreed in principle that it could be borrowed by Wales and so it's expected to be displayed here in 2007 as part of the centenary celebrations of the National Museum of Wales

Click to expand...

andymorgan said:

Second paragraph  :read:

It remained there until 2006 when it was agreed in principle that it could be borrowed by Wales and so it's expected to be displayed here in 2007 as part of the centenary celebrations of the National Museum of Wales

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

:-[

:-[ I misread it myself. I thought it was a permanent move, hence my earlier comment.

The Aldhouse-Green book contains some excellent stuff on this BTW.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0953541819

I borrowed it from the library on inter-loan for next-to-nothing; a good read for cavers/archaeologists etc.., providing, of course, that you can actually read 

Spotted this in the local paper whilst in Swansea last week:

10:00 - 09 October 2006

Regarding your article headlined Druid calls for Red Lady's return (Post, September 26).The ancient skeleton found in Paviland Cave on the Gower peninsula lies safely in an Oxford University.

However, there is a replica of this find in Swansea Museum. It is a travesty, however, that Paviland Cave - perhaps the most historic site in the whole of Britain - is inaccessible to anyone who cannot traverse a very difficult rock face.

I visited the site last week and the only available path which circumnavigates a precipitous curve in the hillside is less than a foot wide on very loose scree leading to a steep scramble over cavernous rocks. It is extremely dangerous and there are no warning signs for the public. The alternative route is from the top of the cliff down a rope.

If this is an example of how we nurture our historic sites, perhaps the skeleton is better off in Oxford.

Many of the eroded paths to the beaches in this area aren't much better. Aren't there now government initiatives to provide access for all?

Perhaps the footpath officer in our local council should take a trip to Austria and see how they maintain and exploit their tourist attractions.

Mrs G Davies

Gowerton, Swansea


When I were a lad, there was no footpath, the only "safe" access was at low tide. Didn't stop me and my mate Howyll though...

Glenn