CANNIBALISM IN BRITAIN: TAPHONOMY OF FAUNAL AND HUMAN REMAINS FROM GOUGH'S CAVE 



61 



Table 1 Summary of taphonomic modifications seen on the fossil bones from Gough's Cave. Modifications are shown for each major postcranial element, 

 which are listed in column 1 . The total number of specimens (N) for each element is in column 2, and in column 3 the distribution of modifications by 

 human action is shown for four taxonomic categories: human (h), equid (e), cervid (c) and indeterminate large mammal (m). The same distribution is 

 shown for six types of modifications in the remainder of the table as explained in the text. 



Anatomical 

 element 



Total 



N 



N 



Cut-marks 



Percussion 

 marks 



Concoidal 

 scars 



Adhered 

 flakes 



Removed 

 flakes 



Peeling 







h 



e 



c 



m 



h 



e 



c 



m 



h 



e 



c 



m 



h 



e 



c 



m 



h 



e 



c 



m 



h 



e 



c 



m 



h 



e 



c 



m 



Cranial 



4 



2 







2 





2 













2 









































2 













2 













Hemi-maxillae 



9 



2 



3 



4 





2 



2 



2 





2 



2 



2 























1 



























1 









Hemi-mandible 



27 



6 



12 



9 





2 



3 



2 









9 



4 



























1 



















1 



3 



1 





Hyoid 



1 







1 













1 













1 

































































Clavicle 



3 



3 













3 





































































1 













Humeri 



6 



6 













4 













3 













1 













1 













i 



























Radii 



6 



5 



1 









1 



1 









3 



1 









































1 









1 













Ulnae 



5 



4 



1 









2 



1 









1 



1 























1 



























2 













Scapulae 



4 



4 













4 













1 























































2 













Ribs 



45 



40 







5 



20 







5 



8 







3 











































8 











Vertebrae 



19 



7 



7 



5 





3 



6 



2 





1 



1 



















































2 













Pelves 



2 







2 













2 















































































Femurs 



1 



1 



























1 





































































Fibula 



1 



1 













1 









































1 









































Tibiae 



8 



1 



3 



4 









2 



3 





1 



1 



1 









1 































1 





1 













Long bones 



3 



2 







1 





1 







1 





1 



































1 

































Patellae 



1 







1 





























































































Carpo-tarsal 



35 







28 



7 









12 



3 









1 



























1 





































Metapodial 



35 



5 



24 



6 









12 



6 





1 



19 



2 









4 



























1 



1 





1 













Phalanges 



54 



6 



49 



4 









29 



2 









27 



2 





























































Totals 



269 



90 



132 



42 



5 



45 



71 



21 



5 



25 



63 



il 



3 



1 



5 











3 



2 



2 







3 



2 



2 







21 



4 



1 







Skeletal elements 



Anatomical elements of humans and other large mammals (horses 

 and deer) recorded at the site suggest some differences between 

 element representation. In general terms, human skeletons are better 

 represented than are those of any of the other large mammals. 

 Human skeletons show a relatively high abundance of cranial re- 

 mains, ribs, scapulae, and arms (Table 1). In contrast, vertebrae are 

 notable for their near absence, despite the abundance of ribs that 

 were found in association (although not articulation) at the site. 

 There is also a peculiar absence of pelves, carpo-tarsal bones and 

 phalanges which are relatively abundant among horses or deer. 

 Similarly, cranial elements, especially mandibles, are also abundant 

 for both horses and deer, but while metapodials and phalanges are 

 abundant, most limb bones are poorly represented. Horses have an 

 extraordinarily high abundance of phalanges, which are not gener- 

 ally common in human occupation sites. Skeletal element proportions 

 are summarized in Table 2. 



Anatomical elements: limb bones 



Five upper limb bones from Gough's cave have moderately complete 

 shafts, three clavicles, one humerus and two radii and ulnae. These 

 were recovered in a fragmentary state but reconstructed in the 

 laboratory. For example ulna M54066 is made up by six fragments 

 that make up most of the right ulna (Churchill 2001) and it has a 

 possible antimere in M54067. Two of the clavicles are antimeres, 

 and the four scapulae have been interpreted as representing two 

 males and one female individuals. All have cut-marks, sometimes 

 extensive. The lower limb bones are similarly fragmentary, with no 

 complete bones. There are four left femora, although only one was 



Table 2 Skeletal proportions of the anatomical elements recorded for 6 

 humans, 10 equids and 6 cervids from Gough's cave. Skeletal elements 

 are shown on the left, and percentage occurrences of elements based on 

 numbers present (N ) divided by numbers of that element present in the 

 skeleton (N ) multiplied by the MNI. 





Human 



Equid 



Cervid 







N a 



N, 





N a 



N, 





N a 



N, 



skull 



50% 



3 



1 



0% 







1 



33% 



2 



1 



hemi-maxilla 



17% 



2 



2 



15% 



3 



2 



33% 



4 



2 



hemi-mandible 



50% 



6 



2 



60% 



12 



2 



75% 



9 



2 



hyoid 



0% 







1 



10% 



1 



1 



0% 







1 



clavicle 



25% 



3 



2 



0% 











0% 











humerus 



50% 



6 



2 



0% 







2 



0% 







2 



radius 



42% 



5 



2 



5% 



1 



2 



0% 







2 



ulna 



33% 



4 



2 



5% 



1 



2 



0% 







2 



scapula 



33% 



4 



2 



0% 







2 



0% 







2 



rib 



28% 



40 



24 



0% 







36 



3% 



5 



26 



vertebra 



7% 



10 



25 



2% 



7 



32 



3% 



5 



28 



pelvis 



0% 







2 



10% 



2 



2 



0% 







2 



femur 



42% 



5 



2 



0% 







2 



0% 







2 



fibula 



8% 



1 



2 



0% 







2 



0% 







2 



tibia 



75% 



9 



2 



15% 



3 



2 



33% 



4 



2 



patella 



0% 







2 



5% 



1 



2 



0% 







2 



carpo-tarsal 



0% 







28 



11% 



28 



26 



5% 



7 



22 



metapodial 



4% 



5 



20 



60% 



24 



4 



25% 



6 



4 



phalange 



0% 



1 



56 



41% 



49 



12 



3% 



4 



24 



long bones 





2 















1 





Total number 



8% 



90 



179 



10% 



132 



134 



6% 



47 



128 



MNI 



6 



10 



6 



