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Intentional cutmarks on an early mesolithic human calvaria from Margaux Cave (Dinant, Belgium)
Author(s) -
Toussaint Michel
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.21375
Subject(s) - mesolithic , cave , forehead , skull , calvaria , scalp , anatomy , archaeology , human skull , geology , geography , paleontology , biology , biochemistry , in vitro
Margaux Cave (Belgium) yielded a Pre‐Boreal Early Mesolithic burial covered by what resembled a burial mound. The hundreds of human bones excavated belonged to 7 to 10 adult females. Among these bones, the CR3 cranium presents numerous cutmarks on both zygomatic processes, on the frontal squama and along the two coronal sutures, as well as on the left part of the posterior cranium. The cutmarks on the zygomatic processes correspond to the removal of the mandible while those on the top of the forehead and the occipital may result from the removal of the scalp. Therefore, these cutmarks may be interpreted as part of a mortuary ritual. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.