A WIRRAL man who has spent more than half a century excavating caves in North Wales is preparing to say farewell to some of his most prized possessions as he donates his finds to a national museum.

When John Blore, from Wallasey, decided to combine his love of the countryside with his passion for potholing by taking up cave archaeology, he had no idea what amazing discoveries he would make.

For more than 50 years, the 72-year-old has been looking for evidence of our early ancestors, with his man excavation at Lynx Cave, near the village of Eryrys, revealing a wealth of information about our past.

John’s finds have provided evidence of Late Upper Palaeolithic humans using the cave for shelter 13,000 years ago.

Items including butchered animal bones, tools and an exquisite Romano-British brooch dating from 100 to 150AD are just some of those recovered during John’s excavation.

It has been a lifelong pursuit for John, who started his working life as an apprentice toolmaker at Cammell Lairds before moving into various industries including engineering, pharmaceutical and design.

He said: “Analysis of the soils, pollen, charcoal and animals that used the cave all paint a picture of how the landscape has changed since the last Ice Age.”

For the last 53 years, the thousands of bones unearthed from Lynx Cave and others have all been archived at John’s home, but they will soon be leaving Wirral and heading to the National Museum of Wales.

“The excavation of the cave has been a lifetime of discovery and presenting them to the museum means that others can share the amazing discoveries made about how our ancestors lived.

“But they won’t get that adrenalin buzz when you pick up an artefact made 13,000 years ago and realise that this what people used to cut up meat or sew clothing together.”

The father-of-one added: “During my research I have noticed when looking for comparable material that much of the evidence from early archaeological digs is no longer available and has been lost forever.

“By donating them to the museum they will be retained and studied by others and as new technology comes along they can looked at in a new light.”

Wirral Globe:

The bones and artefacts will not go on display immediately. The will be initially used for researched and will give students the opportunity to study the collection in its entirety.

There will be a small display for the public to see Llangollen Museum from August.

John says he has not abandoned Lynx Cave completely.

He now gives talks on the 50 years of excavation and other aspects of cave archaeology, as well as writing archaeological journals.

John added: “My wife Beryl has had to suffer me for the last 48 years, cleaning muddy bones in the sink.

“Our daughter Mandy has given us two wonderful grandchildren, Leah and Lewis, who I hope might one day become interested in archaeology.”