Professor Danielle Schreve

But they are not so good at preserving things like pollen or what we call plant macrofossils, so bits of plant, whether it's bits of leaf or twig or seed, for example. And that's just because limestone tends – I mean, it's a very calcareous environment.

But they are not so good at preserving things like pollen or what we call plant macrofossils, so bits of plant, whether it's bits of leaf or twig or seed, for example. And that's just because limestone tends – I mean, it's a very calcareous environment.

But they are not so good at preserving things like pollen or what we call plant macrofossils, so bits of plant, whether it's bits of leaf or twig or seed, for example. And that's just because limestone tends – I mean, it's a very calcareous environment.

So it's good at preserving things like bones, and it's not good at preserving things like pollen, which needs a more acidic type of depositional environment.

So it's good at preserving things like bones, and it's not good at preserving things like pollen, which needs a more acidic type of depositional environment.

So it's good at preserving things like bones, and it's not good at preserving things like pollen, which needs a more acidic type of depositional environment.

Yes, it's very alkaline. So that's good for the preservation of bones and teeth.

Yes, it's very alkaline. So that's good for the preservation of bones and teeth.

Yes, it's very alkaline. So that's good for the preservation of bones and teeth.

So we get different types of evidence from these caves, but they can often contain really detailed sequences that allow us to examine how animals and indeed people on occasion, if we have evidence for archaeology in those caves, we can examine how the fauna, how people have been responding to climate and environmental change.

So we get different types of evidence from these caves, but they can often contain really detailed sequences that allow us to examine how animals and indeed people on occasion, if we have evidence for archaeology in those caves, we can examine how the fauna, how people have been responding to climate and environmental change.

So we get different types of evidence from these caves, but they can often contain really detailed sequences that allow us to examine how animals and indeed people on occasion, if we have evidence for archaeology in those caves, we can examine how the fauna, how people have been responding to climate and environmental change.

So this is work we've been doing for a number of years now, about 15 years. And it's based in a previously unexplored cave site in the Mendip Hills in Somerset. So it was a wonderful opportunity to explore a site that had not had any previous excavation in it. So already that's quite rare because many cave sites have been discovered. They were discovered by Victorian antiquarians.

So this is work we've been doing for a number of years now, about 15 years. And it's based in a previously unexplored cave site in the Mendip Hills in Somerset. So it was a wonderful opportunity to explore a site that had not had any previous excavation in it. So already that's quite rare because many cave sites have been discovered. They were discovered by Victorian antiquarians.

So this is work we've been doing for a number of years now, about 15 years. And it's based in a previously unexplored cave site in the Mendip Hills in Somerset. So it was a wonderful opportunity to explore a site that had not had any previous excavation in it. So already that's quite rare because many cave sites have been discovered. They were discovered by Victorian antiquarians.

A lot of them were dug out.

A lot of them were dug out.

A lot of them were dug out.

They certainly did. They were very keen on finding things like specimens for their cabinet of curiosities. They would go out. In some cases, there were rather systematic excavations done. In other cases, people were literally going along and looking for souvenirs.

They certainly did. They were very keen on finding things like specimens for their cabinet of curiosities. They would go out. In some cases, there were rather systematic excavations done. In other cases, people were literally going along and looking for souvenirs.