Fig 1.
The bison bones in Hunters Lodge Inn Sink are a source much puzzlement and we present here a new and elegant theory to explain their presence in the cave. This theory is supported by an exciting discovery made recently at the lower end of Cheddar Gorge.
It has long been accepted by many authorities that the Gorge is, in fact, the remains of an unroofed cave. For instance, as Knight would have it:-
It is believed by geologists that the Gorge was once a cave, worn out of the solid limestone by the slow action of the rain ...
... It is clear that the great cave which once occupied the site of what is now the Gorge of Cheddar, opened out on the sea...
... In the lapse of unnumbered ages, yielding by slow degrees to the action of the rain, to the force of the torrent that, fed by many tributary streams, swept through its dark passages, and perhaps also to the beating of the waves about its mouth, the cavern roof fell in.
F.A.Knight, The heart of Mendip
Given all this water sloshing around and boulders tumbling down from the roof, it is remarkable that traces of the work of early man in this great cave should survive. Yet this is the case, for recently, what is undoubtedly the remains of an ancient cave painting has been discovered on the rock wall of the Gorge (Fig. 1)
Fig 1.
The painting shows a Bison-like creature descending under a somewhat undersized parachute. This undoubtedly depicts the migration of the Bison. However, calculations (which are too long and complex to show here) indicate that the Bison would have hit the ground at about 200 mph. This is sufficient to account for the presence of Bison bones 60ft underground.
The American investigator, Mr Garry Larson, has illustrated a similar technique, which was apparently adopted by the North American Bison. This is illustrated below in Figure 2, together with Mr Larson's comments.
Fig 2.
More facts of Nature: As part of nature's way to help spread
the species throughout their ecological niche, bison often
utilise a behavior naturalists have described as
"ballooning."
Gary Larson - The PreHistory of THE FAR SIDE p95
(Which all goes to show that you should not believe everything you read on the web.)
23-Jun-2007