Understanding Palaeolithic hominin subsistence strategies requires the comprehensive taxonomic identifcation of faunal remains. The high fragmentation of Late Pleistocene faunal assemblages often... Show moreUnderstanding Palaeolithic hominin subsistence strategies requires the comprehensive taxonomic identifcation of faunal remains. The high fragmentation of Late Pleistocene faunal assemblages often prevents proper taxonomic identifcation based on bone morphology. It has been assumed that the morphologically unidentifable component of the faunal assemblage would refect the taxonomic abundances of the morphologically identifed portion. In this study, we analyse three faunal datasets covering the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition (MUPT) at Bacho Kiro Cave (Bulgaria) and Les Cottés and La Ferrassie (France) with the application of collagen type I peptide mass fngerprinting (ZooMS). Our results emphasise that the fragmented component of Palaeolithic bone assemblages can difer signifcantly from the morphologically identifable component. We obtain contrasting identifcation rates between taxa resulting in an overrepresentation of morphologically identifed reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and an underrepresentation of aurochs/bison (Bos/Bison) and horse/European ass (Equus) at Les Cottés and La Ferrassie. Together with an increase in the relative diversity of the faunal composition, these results have implications for the interpretation of subsistence strategies during a period of possible interaction between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens in Europe. Furthermore, shifts in faunal community composition and in carnivore activity suggest a change in the interaction between humans and carnivores across the MUPT and indicate a possible diference in site use between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. The combined use of traditional and biomolecular methods allows (zoo)archaeologists to tackle some of the methodological limits commonly faced during the morphological assessment of Palaeolithic bone assemblages. Show less
Rendu, W.; Renou, S.; Soulier, M.-C.; Rigaud, S.; Roussel, M.; Soressi, M. 2019
The transition from Middle to Upper Paleolithic is a major biological and cultural threshold in the construction of our common humanity. Technological and behavioral changes happened simultaneously... Show moreThe transition from Middle to Upper Paleolithic is a major biological and cultural threshold in the construction of our common humanity. Technological and behavioral changes happened simultaneously to a major climatic cooling, which reached its acme with the Heinrich 4 event, forcing the human populations to develop new strategies for the exploitation of their environment. The recent fieldwork at Les Cottés (France) transitional site offers a good opportunity to document subsistence strategies for this period and to provide for the first time high-resolution insights on its evolution. We present the results of the complete zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis of the transitional sequence, associated with a large regional synthesis of the subsistence strategy evolution during the Middle to Upper Paleolithic. We conclude that, while there is no major change in the hunting strategies, the butchery activities evolved in strict correlation with the development of range weapons. In addition, the demise of carnivore seems to be a consequence of the human pressure on the environment. Our study demonstrates how the faunal component of the environment became a structuring element of the human social organization, being at the base of future cultural evolutions. Show less