Living Life Under a Rock: an analysis of the conservation management of rock-cut dwellings in the UK

In 2024 The Council for British Archaeology and CIfA's Early Careers Special Interest Group ran an online conference for early career archaeologists and heritage specialists to share their interests and research. The conference was delivered during Youth Day sponsored by the Royal Archaeological Institute as part of the CBA Festival of Archaeology.
Speaker: Sophie Pearson
Blurb: Humanity has been intensely involved in the exploration of caves for millennia. Utilised across the world by almost all recorded cultures, caves have become the subject of a wealth of scholarly discourse, with thematic studies of their use throughout the Palaeolithic dominating academic debates. Comparatively less research has been afforded to archaeological syntheses of rock-cut dwellings and as such, much ambiguity surrounds the ways in which these structures should be managed and protected.
With specific reference to the issues encountered in conserving rock-cut dwellings, this paper endeavours to assess the extent to which natural and anthropogenic disturbances are threatening the condition and significance of these structures. Particular attention will be afforded to Kinver Edge and the Rock Houses (Staffordshire), which will be used as a case study to illustrate the issues encountered and evaluate how they are being managed. Through critical evaluation of a wide breadth of academic research, this paper will demonstrate the significance of adopting an interdisciplinary approach. In doing so, it will highlight the complexities of studying a building type that is little valued and poorly understood.
Ultimately, this paper will conclude that the survival of rock-cut dwellings is dependent on continued research into the procedural methods required for effective conservation as well as the establishment of good codes of working practice. Through the continued study of rock-cut dwellings, this paper hopes to stimulate greater interest in their conservation, emphasising the need for future academic debate.

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Rock cut dwellings in Australia include homes (and hotels) of opal miners at Coober Pedy and White Cliffs.