077 Cueva de Rascavieja
Enaso VN51799638 Alt. 300m Length 450m

Updated 6th May 2000; 16th September 2000; 21st January 2001

The 4 x 4m, strongly draughting entrance at the base of a cliff leads to a steep boulder slope down to a 30m wide passage. The route closes down at a couple of strongly draughting boulder chokes. The left hand side has been scaled. The draughting choke to the right has been excavated into a complicated section between moving boulders. At Easter 1998, the left hand boulder choke was pushed through to a small passage and more boulders. The survey needs drawing up.

One male Stenasellus cf. virei Dollfus was collected in 1964.

L. Mills found the Bronze age skeleton of a youth in the lowest part of the first chamber in 1975. In 1999, small pieces of pottery were found in the same area.

Further human remains were located in the central part of the chamber by C.A.E.A.P. in December 1989. The S.E.S.S. found pottery fragments, which they considered Iron Age, but which a revision might now class as medieval.

Photographs of some of the archaeological finds are pictured here.

According to Quin (BU pp59-62), in his magnetic susceptibility studies, sediments from Rascavieja show similar k values to sediments in Cueva de Coberruyo (138), indicating that the sites may have had a common morphogenic agent and are connected.

References: Fernández Gutiérrez et al, 1966 (survey); anon., 1975a; anon., 1975b (logbook); Kendal Caving Club and Manchester University Speleological Society, 1975 (survey); anon., 1977b (logbook); Mills L D J and Waltham A C, 1981 (survey); Smith P, 1981a; Corrin J S and Smith P, 1981; Manchester University Speleological Society, 1982 (survey); anon., 1984 (logbook); anon., 1985a (Easter logbook); material in file; Smith P, 1985; anon., 1987 (logbook); Corrin J and Knights S, 1988; Ortiz E, 1968; anon., 1992b (logbook); Corrin J and Quin A, 1992; Quin A, 1993b (survey and photo); Muñoz E and Bermejo A, 1987; Quin Andrew, 1995 (survey); anon., 1998a (Easter logbook); Corrin Juan, 1999; anon., 1999c (logbook); Corrin Juan, 2000 
Entrance picture : distant  close up
Underground picture(s): bouldery passage 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12
Detailed Survey : 1:1000
Line Survey :
On area survey :
Survex file :