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
Palaeolithic faunal assemblages provide a wealth of information, notably on paleoenvironment, site formation and past human subsistence strategies. However, obtaining a secure interpretation... Show morePalaeolithic faunal assemblages provide a wealth of information, notably on paleoenvironment, site formation and past human subsistence strategies. However, obtaining a secure interpretation requires the comprehensive taxonomic identification of faunal remains, traditionally done through visual morphological comparison. Due to high fragmentation, bone morphology is often insufficient to taxonomically identify a large proportion of faunal assemblages. Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) gives the opportunity to identify biological markers preserved in previously undiagnostic fragmentary or worked remains. This dissertation combines the analyses of bone surface modifications with biomolecular analyses in order to investigate the relationship between faunal composition and bone fragmentation, and to assess hominin subsistence behaviour through large-scale applications of untargeted ZooMS screenings. This study explores the synthesis and analysis of comparable data, for both the morphologically identifiable and unidentifiable portion of the same faunal assemblages, by investigating bone assemblages from European sites spanning the arrival of Homo sapiens within territories occupied by the last Neanderthals such as Fumane Cave (Italy), Bacho Kiro Cave (Bulgaria), La Ferrassie and Les Cottés (France). In addition, the recent development of non-destructive proteomic extraction techniques, notably on fragmented Palaeolithic worked bones, required a controlled sampling experiment to determine how sampling techniques such as the eraser extraction method affect ancient bone surfaces at a microscopic level. Through the combination of methods and the integration of complementary datasets, this dissertation demonstrates the potential of the inclusion of ancient protein analysis within the framework of zooarchaeological analysis at Palaeolithic sites. Show less
Dekker, J.; Sinet-Mathiot, V.; Spithoven, M.; Smit, B.; Wilcke, A.; Welker, F.; ... ; Soressi, M. 2021
