GOUGH'S CAVE 1 : STUDY OF PELVIS AND LOWER LIMBS 



19 



METATARSALS 



Inventory 



Metatarsal 1 Right (No. 1 . 1/33). Complete bone. 

 Metatarsal 3 Right (No. 1.1/32). Complete bone. 

 Metatarsal 4 Right (No. 1.1/31). Complete bone. 



Morphology 



The three preserved metatarsal bones of the Gough's Cave 1 right 

 foot present an unexceptional morphology, with relatively smooth 



surfaces and distinct articular facets. The metatarsal 1 presents a 

 strongly twisted medial cuneiform facet and a large but smooth M. 

 peroneus longus tubercle. Distally, it has a relatively flaring surface 

 for the lateral sesamoid bone, and a clear lateral deviation of the head 

 indicating hallux valgus. 



Robusticity indices for the Gough's Cave 1 metatarsals (geomet- 

 ric mean of the midshaft diameters versus articular length) are 

 similar to Mesolithic means for the first and fourth rays (metatarsal 

 1 : 22.9 versus 23.0 ±1. 6, N = 5; metatarsal 4: 12.9 versus 13.1 ±0.7, 

 N = 5). The third metatarsal, however, has a robusticity index (12.2) 

 which is two standard deviations below the mean of a Mesolithic 

 comparative sample (13.4 ± 0.6, N = 5). 



Fig. 16 Plantar (above), medial (below left) and lateral (below right) views of the Gough's Cave 1 right metatarsals; x 



