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Cheddar man

December 1903

The Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum
London, United Kingdom

This skull, discovered in Gough's Cave in Somerset, UK, belonged to a male commonly known as Cheddar Man.

At about 10,000 years old, his is the oldest nearly complete modern human (Homo sapiens) skeleton ever found in Britain.

From the presence of wisdom teeth in his jaw, scientists can tell he was an adult male. The rest of his skeleton suggests he was around 166 centimetres tall and relatively slender.

The hole in his forehead, above his right eye, could have been the site of an infection that may have killed him. This infection may have spread from the sinuses or been caused by an injury to the head.

Find out more about the Museum's Human Evolution gallery >
Explore other key objects related to human origins >

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  • Title: Cheddar man
  • Date: December 1903
  • Location: Gough's Cave, Somerset, UK
  • Subject Keywords: Human Origins
  • Age: 10,000 years
The Natural History Museum

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