Prehistoric Location, Location, Location

Human nature doesn’t change. Tour any archeological site and you will find necessities, desires and comforts of life common to all people. In particular this applies to the place we call home. A house buyer today views properties with a mental checklist of desired features and according to recent researchers, prehistoric cave-dwelling Britons did the same thousands of years ago.

A survey of over 400 caves in Northern England shows that people living in this area from 4,000 to 2,000 B.C. selected their homes based on five important features. Caves were favoured if they

*Were located at a higher altitude
*Had an east or west facing entrances
*Had large entrances
*Included deep passages
*Had a level area just outside of the entrance

Archaeologists discovered that the Peak District, a productive area for agriculture today, attracted more prehistoric cave users than the Yorkshire Dales. But caves were also used for more transitory purposes: sometimes caves were employed like roadside motels, where travellers would stop in for a few nights to rest before continuing their journeys

The benefits of this project include the discovery of many previously unexplored caves throughout Britain, a well-practiced methodology for surveying archeological sites, and an excellent compilation of data that will aid future researchers.