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Paviland Cave is a limestone cave located in the Gower Peninsula, Swansea, Wales, and represents one of the most significant Upper Palaeolithic burial sites in Britain. The cave is best known for the interment of an adult human skeleton, discovered in 1823 and popularly known as the "Red Lady of Paviland," which dates to approximately 33,000 years before present and is among the earliest known deliberate burials in western Europe. The skeleton, which was in fact male, was found associated with ochre and other grave goods including ivory ornaments and marine shells, indicating ritual burial practice during the Late Pleistocene period. The cave itself demonstrates extensive evidence of human occupation and activity, making it a crucial archaeological site for understanding Palaeolithic settlement patterns and funerary practices in prehistoric Britain.
Paviland Cave is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM504. View the official record →
Paviland Cave is a limestone cave located in the Gower Peninsula, Swansea, Wales, and represents one of the most significant Upper Palaeolithic burial sites in Britain. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM504.
Paviland Cave dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a cave. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Paviland Cave is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is GM504.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Paviland Camp (0.1 km), Horse Cliff Camp (0.3 km), Cave 40m SE of Deborah's Hole (0.5 km).
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Research the area around Paviland Cave