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Ancient Britons 'drank from skulls'
BBC ^
| February 16, 2011
| Jonathan Amos
Posted on 02/16/2011 3:40:26 PM PST by decimon
Ancient Britons were not averse to using human skulls as drinking cups, skeletal remains unearthed in southwest England suggest.
The braincases from three individuals were fashioned in such a meticulous way that their use as bowls to hold liquid seems the only reasonable explanation.
The 14,700-year-old objects were discovered in Gough's Cave, Somerset.
Scientists from London's Natural History Museum say the skull-cups were probably used in some kind of ritual.
"If you look around the world there are examples of skull-cups in more recent times - in Tibetan culture, in Fiji in Oceania, and in India," said Dr Silvia Bello, a palaeontologist and lead author of a scientific paper on the subject in the journal PLoS One.
"So, skulls have been used as drinking bowls, and because of the similarity of the Gough's Cave skulls to these other examples, we imagine that that's what these ancient people were using them for also," she told BBC News.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs; goughscave; somerset; unitedkingdom
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To: decimon
Remember, man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.
21
posted on
02/16/2011 4:22:43 PM PST
by
COBOL2Java
(Obama is the least qualified guy in whatever room he walks into.)
To: Palmetto Patriot
Like tiny little miniature thimbles, but not as useful.
/johnny
To: decimon; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...
23
posted on
02/16/2011 4:29:28 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
To: decimon
24
posted on
02/16/2011 4:31:04 PM PST
by
JoeProBono
(A closed mouth gathers no feet - Visualize)
To: decimon
25
posted on
02/16/2011 4:31:16 PM PST
by
Bean Counter
(Stout Hearts...)
To: James C. Bennett
Yeah, it was his own. :’)
26
posted on
02/16/2011 4:31:51 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
To: cweese
That explains why my (soon to become) Viking inlaws used to look at me so funny when they said that...
27
posted on
02/16/2011 4:37:39 PM PST
by
Dubh_Ghlase
(Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.)
To: SunkenCiv
It doesn’t pay now either. ;-)
(For me, anyway.)
28
posted on
02/16/2011 4:42:26 PM PST
by
fanfan
(Why did they bury Barry's past?)
To: decimon
Why didn't they use coconuts?
29
posted on
02/16/2011 4:43:03 PM PST
by
socal_parrot
(I hate to say I told you so, but...)
To: Dubh_Ghlase
That explains why my (soon to become) Viking inlaws used to look at me so funny when they said that... Have you considered sleeping with a helmet on?
30
posted on
02/16/2011 4:44:32 PM PST
by
Palmetto Patriot
(Just exactly when is the next Election?)
To: SunkenCiv
"So, skulls have been used as drinking bowls..."Ew ew ew ew ew ew.
31
posted on
02/16/2011 4:45:57 PM PST
by
TheOldLady
("20 Years Ago Desert Storm began...where were you...?" "I believe I was hitting it." - Lazamataz)
To: SunkenCiv
Back then it probably didn't pay to doze off. Doze were da daze.
32
posted on
02/16/2011 4:48:49 PM PST
by
decimon
To: cweese; decimon
To: TheOldLady; fanfan; decimon
“And for dessert, lady fingers!”
34
posted on
02/16/2011 5:48:17 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
To: SunkenCiv
35
posted on
02/16/2011 5:53:19 PM PST
by
TheOldLady
("20 Years Ago Desert Storm began...where were you...?" "I believe I was hitting it." - Lazamataz)
To: James C. Bennett
Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. Plus, his melon provided a most excellent drinking vessel.
36
posted on
02/16/2011 6:12:44 PM PST
by
Pelham
(Off With Their Heads- a Religion of Peace thought for today)
To: decimon
For some reason, Keith Richards comes to mind.
37
posted on
02/16/2011 6:14:23 PM PST
by
Walts Ice Pick
("I'm not going to shut up!" - Sarah Palin)
To: decimon; SunkenCiv
Perhaps thats where the idea of drinking beer ane ale with a nice head on it comes from.
38
posted on
02/16/2011 7:05:12 PM PST
by
wildbill
(You're just jealous because the Voices talk only to me.)
To: Palmetto Patriot
No, but I did peak a lot of interest when I shaved my head...
39
posted on
02/16/2011 7:10:09 PM PST
by
Dubh_Ghlase
(Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.)
To: Dubh_Ghlase
No, but I did peak a lot of interest when I shaved my head...A walking phallic symbol. ;-) And I've been called that but in cruder terms.
40
posted on
02/16/2011 7:18:01 PM PST
by
decimon
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