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Ogof Paviland Cave

Yn 1823 fe ddaeth yr Athro William Buckland o Brifysgol Rhydychen o hyd i ran o ysgerbwd o fewn Ogof Paviland. Staenwyd y ysgerbwd ag ocr coch a chan fod cadwyn wedi ei wneud o cregyn ac ifori am ei wddwg credodd Buckland taw menyw ydoedd ac felly fe'i hadwaenwyd fel y Ddynes Goch. Ond gwyddys bellach taw nid menyw ydoedd ond dyn yn ei ugeiniau. Credir bellach iddo gael ei gladdu 34,000 mlynedd yn ol. Mae darganfyddiad yr ysgerbwd yn Ogof Paviland yn bwysig am taw hon yw'r gladdfa hynaf nid yn unig ym Mhrydain ond yng Nghorllewin Ewrop. Bellach mae'r ogof ar lan y mor ond pan gladdwyd y dyn edrychwyd mas ar wastatir eang. Mae mynedfa i'r ogof yn bosibl ond yn ystod llanw isel iawn yn unig

In 1823 Professor Buckland of Oxford University discovered a section of a skeleton within Paviland Cave. The bones were stained with red ochre and as a necklace made from shells and ivory was found around the neck Buckland believed that the remains were that of a woman and she became known as The Red Lady of Paviland. However, it is now known that the skeleton is that of a young man in his twenties who was buried 34,000 years ago. Therefore Paviland Cave is very important as the earliest known burial not only in Britain but also in Western Europe. Today the cave overlooks the sea but 34,000 years ago it overlooked an extensive plain. Access to the cave is only possible during very low tides