The cave was first excavated by Holland in 1958, when he found
Bronze Age pottery, human and animal bones, and a stone-flake knife of
Langdale stone.[8]
In January 2023 it was reported that human bone and a
periwinkle shell bead, found in the cave by local archaeologist Martin Stables, had been dated to 11,000 years ago, making it one of the earliest identified locations for human presence in the north of England.[2] At least eight individuals had been buried in the cave, from the early Bronze Age (4,000 years ago), the early
Neolithic period (6,000 years ago) and the early
Mesolithic period (11,000 years ago).[5]
^Chamberlain, Andrew T.
"Heaning Wood Bone Cave". Gazetteer of caves, fissures and rock shelters in north west England, containing human remains. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
^Barnes, F. (1970).
"Prehistoric pottery from Furness"(PDF). Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society. 70: 1–8. Retrieved 25 January 2023.