Rawthey Cave film (Wild Boar Fell)

[Pitlamp]

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]

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]

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?

[Ed]

YouTube?

[Pitlamp]

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]

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.

[Pitlamp]

Thanks for the suggestion.

[Pitlamp]

Ah - that led me to find his website: http://www.archaemedia.co.uk/

[mikem]

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]

That's where I found it  .

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]

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.

[professor warthog]

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.

[Pitlamp]

Brilliant - I'll send an email.

[andybrooks]

Not currently available from BBC archives.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074j5w

[Pitlamp]

Transferring from VHS to digital isn't quite as simple as hoped during lockdown - does anyone have a digital copy?