The discovery of Mesolithic Red Deer at Skipsea Withow

TY - JOUR

T1 - The discovery of Mesolithic Red Deer at Skipsea Withow

AU - Cadman, Sheila

AU - Knight, Becky

AU - Elliott, Benjamin Joseph

AU - Schadla-Hall, Tim

AU - Robson, Harry Kenneth

AU - Milner, Nicola

N1 - © 2018 The Yorkshire Archaeological society. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details.

PY - 2018/7/10

Y1 - 2018/7/10

N2 - Skipsea Withow is well known for producing a barbed point and faunal remains, thought to date to the Early Mesolithic period, over a century ago. More recently bones were recovered from the eroding cliff face and have been analysed. Although it was considered that they might be elk (Alces alces) due to their large size, it was demonstrated that they are red deer (Cervus elaphus). Further examination suggested that they represent two individuals of slightly different ages. They have been dated to the Early Mesolithic period and the dates overlap with those obtained from the well-known site of Star Carr, located further north in the Vale of Pickering. It is considered unlikely that the red deer bones from Skipsea Withow represent two natural deaths on the edge of the mere, and it is possible that they are the remains of humanly deposited bones; a practice seen at Star Carr.

AB - Skipsea Withow is well known for producing a barbed point and faunal remains, thought to date to the Early Mesolithic period, over a century ago. More recently bones were recovered from the eroding cliff face and have been analysed. Although it was considered that they might be elk (Alces alces) due to their large size, it was demonstrated that they are red deer (Cervus elaphus). Further examination suggested that they represent two individuals of slightly different ages. They have been dated to the Early Mesolithic period and the dates overlap with those obtained from the well-known site of Star Carr, located further north in the Vale of Pickering. It is considered unlikely that the red deer bones from Skipsea Withow represent two natural deaths on the edge of the mere, and it is possible that they are the remains of humanly deposited bones; a practice seen at Star Carr.

KW - Mesolithic

KW - Preboreal

KW - Skipsea Withow

KW - Star Carr

KW - barbed point

KW - red deer

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85049606276&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/00844276.2018.1481675

DO - 10.1080/00844276.2018.1481675

M3 - Article

SN - 0084-4276

VL - 90

SP - 1

EP - 12

JO - Yorkshire Archaeological Journal

JF - Yorkshire Archaeological Journal

IS - 1

ER -