New Lateglacial fauna and early Mesolithic human remains from northern England

• Published in: Journal of Quaternary Science
• Main Authors: SMITH, IAN R., WILKINSON, DAVID M., O'REGAN, HANNAH J.
• Other Authors: Natural Environment Research Council
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2013
• Subjects: Alces alces
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jqs.2655; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fjqs.2655; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jqs.2655

ABSTRACT Fauna from the Lateglacial Interstadial are largely limited to isolated findspots. Here we report on material from the site of Kent's Bank Cavern, Cumbria, dated to the Allerød/Younger Dryas boundary. The identification of elk ( Alces alces ) and horse ( Equus sp.) and the inferred presence of a large canid indicates that fauna of economic utility to humans were in this area at the time. The presence of humans is attested to by records of Federmesser points from two nearby cave sites. We also report on early Mesolithic human remains from Kent's Bank Cavern. This assemblage represents one of very few Lateglacial faunas in northern Britain, and the most northerly early Mesolithic human remains in the British Isles, making Kent's Bank of importance to discussions of both resource distribution and mortuary rituals in these periods. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.