Gough's Cave (Gough's New Cave), Cheddar, Somerset


NGR: ST 4670 5391

NMR: ST 45 SE 10

SMR: S 10398

SAM: 13203

SSSI: 566

MCRA: 738

Excavation: R.C. Gough, 1892-1903; R.F. Parry, 1927-30; V. Painter, 1948-53; E.K. Tratman, 1968; A.P. Currant, 1986-87.

Curation: Cheddar Caves Museum; NHM, London; Oxford University Museum; Taunton Museum; UBSS Museum; Weston-super-Mare Museum.

Burials: MNI: 5+ (4 adults, 1 child).

Finds: Flint artefacts; bone artefacts, IA pottery, animal bones.

Date: Late Upper Palaeolithic, Early Mesolithic and LBA or EIA (1).

14C: 12,570 bp (OxA-3414), 11,480 (OxA-2234), 11,820 (OxA-2795), 11,990 (OxA-2235), 11,700 (OxA-2236), 12,300 (OxA-2237), 12,380 (OxA-2796), 9100 bp (OxA-814), 9080 bp (BM-525), 2850 bp (OxA-1202) on human bone.

Bibliography:

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Bello, S.M., Saladié, P., Cáceres, Rodríguez-Hidalgo, A. & Parfitt, S.A. (2015) Upper Palaeolithic ritualistic cannibalism at Gough's Cave (Somerset, UK): The human remains from head to toe Journal of Human Evolution.

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