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



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Fig. 21 A, Human maxilla (M54130a ) and mandible (M54130a) from a 

 young individual. The jaws are heavily damaged by percussion and 

 cutting. The maxilla has both zygomatic arches broken and extensive 

 cuts on the masseter insertion, as well as on the face above the canines 

 where the lips attach, and on the palate. Cuts on the mandible are present 

 on both lingual and buccal sides of the mandible. Also in the area of the 

 medial pterygoid insertion and coronoid process the inferior border is 

 broken and the ascending ramus broken. B, Maxilla of horse Equus 

 ferus, GC89-061. The body of the maxilla is broken, with several 

 percussion marks along the broken edge and one on the undamaged 

 surface of the bone. There are also two sets of cut-marks passing 

 diagonally across the buccal sides of the teeth which are shown in the 

 next figure. C, Maxilla of red deer M49981, with cut-marks just below 

 the alveolar margin on both the buccal and lingual surfaces. A, x ??; B, 

 x0.5;C, x 1.2. 



and jaws is evidence of violence and destructive intent of mutilation 

 of a possible enemy (Turner and Turner, 1992). In Gough's Cave, 

 large mammal jaws have similar degrees of destruction to human 

 jaws and faces and, we therefore do not consider this evidence as 

 indication of human-to-human violence. 



Cook (1986) also rejected any interpretation of violence on the 

 Gough's Cave assemblage. Cook's critical review of the marks 

 recorded on these fossils led her to interpret most marks on the 

 human bones as being due to trampling (Andrews & Cook 1985, 

 Cook 1986). In fact. Cook considered as the only firm evidence of 

 deliberate human interference some marks on the buccal surface 

 and inferior border of the adult mandible (M54130, Gough's 6). 

 Cook (1986) considered these marks as related to removal of the 

 tongue. It is remarkable that one horse mandible has also cuts on 

 the inner inflexion of the symphysis (Fig. 20C), similar to the 

 location on the human jaw (Fig. 20B), and this also suggests ex- 

 traction of the tongue. Intensive cuts (and percussions) on an equid 

 hyoid could indicate the same thing, as well as cuts on the anterior 

 side of the human axis body (see Fig. 16) where hyoid ligaments 

 attach. 



Fig. 22 Drawing of maxilla of horse Equus ferus, GC89-06 1 , showing 

 the locations of the two sets of cut-marks running along the buccal side 

 of the crowns of the teeth. The marks appear to be lined up in two series 

 running obliquely down mesially. 



Fig. 23 Oblique frontal view of M54 1 30, juvenile maxilla showing the 

 location of cut-marks on the frontal aspect around the lips and nose and 

 on the zygomatic. 



No fragments of equid skulls have been recovered from Gough's 

 Cave. Skull fragments of cervids (a calvaria and a frontal fragment) 

 have no conclusive evidence of human-induced damage. In contrast 

 to this, the two human skulls are heavily damaged by cut-marks and 

 later percussion marks, but despite this, both were recovered almost 

 complete. The adult calvaria was found virtually in one piece, but the 



