A05_04

The unique early Holocene cetacean skeleton accumulation of the Forth Valley, Scotland

Staff R¹, McMaster P¹, Owen A¹, Persano C¹

¹University Of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Accumulations of cetacean (marine mammal) skeletons are rare in the geological record. One such accumulation, identified in early Holocene deposits of the valley of the River Forth, central Scotland, has been known since the early 1800s. However, the circumstances which permitted cetacean skeletons to accumulate there remain unclear. Association with Mesolithic inhabitants of Scotland (c.12,000-6000 cal BP) has been recognised, but their role as a causal agent of this accumulation has previously been dismissed. Using radiocarbon dating to provide robust chronology, we speculate here upon whether natural processes alone can explain the accumulation of this unique cetacean assemblage.