The karstic caves of the Meuse River Basin in Belgium preserve nearly 200 collective burials dating to the late Neolithic period. Among these, the cave burials of Hastière Caverne M, Sclaigneaux, Bois Madame and Maurenne Caverne de la Cave are represented by numerous individuals and radio-carbon dated to circa 4,635 to 3,830 years B.P. Dental casts from mandibular and maxillary deciduous molars are scored using multiple methods to provide a regional overview of the prevalence and expres-sion of deciduous molar crown traits, and to compare frequencies between cave burial sites with a focus on temporal differentiation. Carabelli’s trait varies from a small pit to a full cusp, the largest of which are found at Hastière Caverne M. The hypoconulid ranges from moderately large to very large. A meta-conulid is absent or small. Although the results are contingent on idiosyncratic preservation, differences in the frequencies of expression of Carabelli’s trait, a pronounced hypoconulid, and the presence of a metaconule and protostylid separate the earlier cave burial at Hastière Caverne M from the final/late Neolithic sites of Sclaigneaux and Bois Madame.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2018
A description is provided of the crocodile remains that were found during an excavation carried out in 2019 at Qubbat al-Hawā (Aswan, Egypt). The material consists of five more or less complete bodies and five heads that were in varying states of preservation and completeness. The absence of resin, which was apparently not used during the preparation of the mummies, and the almost complete loss of linen bandages, due to insect damage, allowed a detailed morphological and osteometric description of the remains. Attention was focused on the general state of preservation of the crocodiles, the completeness of their skeletons and skulls, the presence of cut or other marks that could indicate the cause of death, and the processing of the carcasses. Moreover, the possible provenance of the crocodiles, the methods of capture and killing of the animals and their possible chronological attribution are discussed. It is concluded that the manner in which these specimens were prepared, as well as the variation observed in the type of ‘final product’, are unlike any other crocodile material described so far. The preparation method suggests a pre-Ptolemaic date for the deposit. The morphological and metrical features indicate that both Crocodylus niloticus and the recently resurrected species Crocodylus suchus are present among these individuals that range from 1.8 to 3.5 m in length.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
