Gough’s Cave (Somerset) is the richest Upper Palaeolithic site in Britain, with an impressive assemblage of Magdalenian and Federmesser-Gruppen lithic tools and a variety of engraved objects made from antler, bone, teeth and ivory. These archaeological finds and new radiocarbon dating indicate that the site functioned as a short-lived, multi-activity seasonal camp 15,070-14,610 cal. BP. Perhaps of greatest significance however is the outstanding assemblage of human remains, making it the emblematic British site of this period. The human assemblage consists of a minimum of 6 individuals. Remarkably, most of the human remains show signs of butchery (cut-marks, percussion damage for marrow extraction, human chewing marks) and manipulation, associated with a form of ritualistic cannibalism. Additionally, recent aDNA analysis of one individual from Gough’s Cave has shed light on the population dynamics of Late Glacial Britain in relation to the European continent. In light of these findings and the importance of this collection, the Natural History Museum (NHM) has prioritised a new programme of analytical research to delve deeper into the behavioural and demographic composition of this population using osteological and biomolecular approaches. A large proportion of the osseous material at Gough's Cave remains unidentified. Preliminary analysis has however recognised the presence of bone fragments which cannot be identified to species using conventional osteological techniques. These overlooked remains offer a unique opportunity for further research, particularly if new human remains can be identified. The main goal of this studentship is to identify and analyse this fragmented loose bone using biomolecular approaches - ZooMS, isotopes, aDNA – and taphonomy (SEM, 3D Focus Variation microscopy), to better understand Gough's Cave and early British populations. ZooMS is a high-throughput, low cost method of species identification which utilises bone collagen. It has previously been successfully used to identify human skeletal material from early prehistoric mixed bone assemblages.
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