Gough's Cave 1 (Somerset, England): a study of the axial skeleton

Abstract

The postcranial axial skeleton of Cheddar Man (Gough's Cave 1) is represented by seventeen presacral vertebrae, the sacrum, and nineteen ribs, all of which are relatively well-preserved. Cheddar Man derives from early Holocene deposits in Gough's Cave, and the remains of his axial postcranial skeleton are described here. Comparative evaluation of the Gough's Cave 1 remains reveals an axial skeleton that falls within the range of variation in size and shape of males of the same time period, albeit towards the small end of that range (reflecting relatively short stature in Cheddar Man).