Mesolithic and Neolithic Human Remains from Foxhole Cave, Gower, South Wales

• DOI: 10.1017/s000358151300019x
• Publication Date: 2013-09-20T10:24:53Z
• Authors: Rick Schulting; Linda Fibiger; Richard Macphail; Rowan McLaughlin; Emily Murray; Catherine Price; Elizabeth A Walker
• Keywords: Mesolithic; Accelerator mass spectrometry; Hearth

This paper presents an overview of the results two brief excavation seasons (2008 and 2010) at Foxhole Cave, Gower, south Wales, placing them into wider context mid-Holocene Britain. No prehistoric pottery was found few pieces worked flint recovered are diagnostic Mesolithic period. Typically for Carboniferous limestone caves bone well preserved, however, though much material in heavily disturbed upper metre or so deposits modern sheep rabbit, scattered fragments representing remains least six humans were also recovered, which have been directly radiocarbon-dated using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS 14 C) to Late earlier Neolithic (the remaining providing Romano-British medieval dates). Their associated stable carbon nitrogen isotope values indicate a significant difference diet between periods (contrary from 1997), with marine foods contributing around half protein individuals little none individuals. The new consistent those Caldey Island, Pembrokeshire, some 30km west. floor cave has still not reached 2m depth; limited investigation lowermost levels yielded Pleistocene fauna (including reindeer, aurochs bison collared lemming) dates back approx 33,500 cal bc , no definite evidence human activity far. A small, dark-stained fragment cranium what may be pre-Holocene levels, but this failed produce sufficient collagen dating. In addition marked dietary shift, combined dating programme provides further support equally striking temporal gap millennia use burial.