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



63 



bone and probably related to the insertion of the flexor muscles. 

 Percussion marks and adhered flakes have also been observed on one 

 of these two damaged ulnae (GC'87 209) along the broken edge. 

 Both ulnae show clear evidence of peeling, one on the proximal 

 broken edge (Fig. 1 A). The other two fragments of ulna which have 

 not been damaged by human action have been refitted from several 

 small split shafts found several metres apart from each other, in one 

 case all the fragments coming from the 1987 excavation (M54066), 

 and in the other, some fragments coming from the 1987 excavation 

 and refitted with old 1927 excavation fragments (M54067). The 

 proximal end of the right ulna M54066 (Fig. IB) has lateral crushing 

 of the head. No cut-marks or percussion marks have been distin- 

 guished on either of these two ulnae. One ulnae fragment (GC'50 

 420) is weathered in stage 1 or 2 and has dispersed manganese on its 

 surface. 



The only horse ulna-radius (GC'87 73) has only the proximal end 

 preserved (circumference category 3, length category 1, Villa and 

 Mahieu 1991). The heads of both the ulna and the radius are 

 extensively cut and show percussion marks (Fig. 1C) and a flake has 

 been removed from the interosseous space between ulna and radius. 

 Percussion marks are present on the olecranon. 



Summary of ulnae. Total 5 specimens, 4 humans, 1 equid 



Cut-marks: 3 specimens (2 human, 1 equid) (Ion fossils from the 



1987 collections) 



Percussion marks: 2 specimens (1 human, 1 equid) (1 on fossils 



from the 1987 collections) 



Adhered flakes: 1 specimen (human) (from the 1987 collections) 



Removed flakes: 1 specimen ( 1 equid) 



Peeling: 2 specimens (human) (from the 1987 collections) 



Radius: There are five fragments of all of them humans. There are 

 two with proximal articulations with complete circumference, cat- 

 egory 2 and 3 (Villa and Mahieu, 1991 ) and more than the half of the 

 length of the bone. Specimens M54071 and GC'87 74 are refitted 

 shafts (5 and 7 respectively) of split shaft fragments, open longitudi- 

 nally and mostly category 1 shaft circumference. Only one of these 

 radii has cut-marks (Fig. 2A). These cuts were formerly interpreted 

 as decorative engraving. They appear on the lateral surface along the 

 length of the bone, bordering the origin of the flexor pollicis longus, 

 but there is no muscle attachment along this part of the shaft 

 (between the ulna and the radius). On the SEM we could observe that 

 each group of incisions is actually a single compound mark made by 

 a single stroke (Fig. 2B). Directionality is the same in every set (Fig. 

 2B), and it appears to be the result of filleting, removal of the muscle 

 progressively along the shaft. With regard to breakage, two of the 

 radii have percussion marks, which are distributed along the longitu- 

 dinal broken edge. One of the radii also shows large percussion 

 marks on the anterior and posterior edges. Peeling is seen on M5407 1 

 on at least three joint fragments. This specimen has many percussion 

 impacts mainly along broken edges, and there are at least two large 

 impact scars along the anterior side and one impact pit on the 

 posterior surface. 



Summary of radii. Total 6 specimens, 5 human, 1 equid 



Cut-marks: 2 specimens (1 human, 1 equid) (1 from the 1987 



collections) 



Percussion marks: 4 specimens (3 human, 1 equid) 



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Fig. 2 A, Right human radius GC87-74. Partial diaphysis with the anterior surface preserved for most of it length. Extensive cutmarks are present on the 

 lateral surface, which is the side of the shaft away from the ulna where there are no muscle attachments, but in addition there are a few cut-marks 

 proximally (on the left as seen here) on the supinator insertion. These marks have been interpreted as engraving, but all of the 'groups' of incisions are 

 actually compound marks made by single strokes, with consistent directionality towards the superior aspect of the shaft. This is interpreted as filleting of 

 the arm muscles progressively along the shaft. B, Scanning electron micrograph of GC87-74 cut-marks. Notice that marks are made by the same stone 

 tool edge and made with a sawing motion that follows the same direction for all cuts along the bone shaft. A, x 1.1. 



