Possible Wild Boar Management during the Ertebølle Period. A Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Analysis of Mesolithic Wild Boar from Fannerup F,Denmark

This paper presents a stable isotope and radiocarbon study on a total of 85 samples of wild boar (Sus scrofa), humans (Homo sapiens), dogs (Canis familiaris), red deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) from four Late Mesolithic sites in Jutland, Denmark. Four of the eight Sus scrofa samples from one site, the shell midden of Fannerup F, show markedly enriched carbon and nitrogen isotope values, indicating a dietary intake of a substantial amount of marine food. In contrast to standard interpretations of Late Mesolithic animal economy, we suggest that the enriched values of Sus scrofa may be an indication of management by Ertebølle groups in the area that facilitated access to substantial amounts of marine foods for these wild boars compared to contemporaneous conspecifics. The ¹⁴C dates of the Sus scrofa range from 5290 to 4335 cal BC, suggesting that the management of Sus scrofa developed independently of contact with Neolithic societies. Although the sample size remains small, the interpretation of Late Mesolithic animal management adds to the growing evidence for political and economic complexity in the Ertebølle culture.     

Multi-method (FTIR,XRD, PXRF) analysis of Ertebølle pottery ceramics from Scania,southern Sweden

A combination of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (PXRF) was used on the clay fraction of Ertebølle ceramics from several Late Mesolithic sites in Scania, southern Sweden. The aim was to provide up-to-date information about clay types used during that period within the Scanian Ertebølle cultural unit, and to elucidate social aspects relevant to the organization of pottery production and the role of ceramics in the local societies. The results suggest similar clay preferences across the sites, site-based pottery production using local clays and zero mobility of ceramics between the sites. The chemical separation of the ceramics from the site of Soldattorpet into two compositional groups suggests possible multigroup occupation. The origins of aromatic hydrocarbons, extracted previously from the ceramic matrix of the vessels during a lipid residue study, were also investigated, and a discussion is provided.     

Smakkerup Huse: A Mesolithic Settlement in NW Zealand,Denmark

Abstract

Excavations at the site of Smakkerup Huse on the island of Zealand, Denmark, have revealed Late Mesolithic Ertebølle deposits, dating between 5000 and 3900 B.C. Preservation was excellent and a variety of bone, antler, wood, and other plant remains were recovered in the waterlogged deposits, along with stone and ceramic artifacts. The remains document a diverse subsistence base utilizing both marine and terrestrial foods, an elaborate wood technology, new artifact types, and some of the oldest domestic cows in Scandinavia. This report provides background information on the site, and discusses the artifacts and plant and animal remains. The question of domestic animals in the Late Mesolithic is addressed.     

Relations of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers of Pomerania (Poland) with Neolithic cultures of central Europe

Abstract

The appearance of the first farming groups on the North European Plain was the turning point for the Mesolithic foragers who had inhabited that region for almost 7000 years. Interrelations between these two very different communities are fascinating for archaeologists interested in the northern European Stone Age. Research at D?bki in Poland provides elements for a discussion of the Neolithic transformation along the southern Baltic coast. Pottery from the regions inhabited by Danubian societies has been found in a hunting-gathering context (), a fact that sheds light on relations between local Late Mesolithic communities and early farmers. Imports from the Linear Pottery Culture, the Stroked Pottery Culture, the Lengyel Culture, and the Ertebølle Culture are found associated with Late Mesolithic layers, while pottery of the Bodrogkeresztúr Culture is related with the local Funnel Beaker settlement. This imported pottery reflects long lasting contacts between Mesolithic and those Neolithic communities that promoted the neolithization of the coastal region.     

Fishing in the Northern Isles: a Case Study Based on Fish Bone Assemblages from Two Multi-period Sites on Sanday,Orkney

Abstract

We describe six cervid bones — a distal humerus, three distal tibiae, and two astragali — from two Roman sites, São Pedro Fronteira and Torre de Palma, in the Alentejo of Portugal. They are identified on morphological and osteometric grounds as fallow deer, Dama dama. They represent the earliest Holocene evidence for this species in Portugal, and it is suggested that, like the camel, the Romans were responsible for its spread within their Empire. While remains of this animal have not so far been reported in any Moslem period assemblages, there is documentary evidence for the existence of fallow deer in Portugal in the 12th and 13th centuries AD, although the possibility that fallow deer disappeared with the end of Roman rule should be considered.     

Comparative human and deer (Odocoileus virginianus) taphonomy at the Richards site,Ohio

The Richards site is attributed to the Philo phase of the Fort Ancient tradition of the Ohio Valley area. Human skeletal material from the site shows evidence of peri‐ and post‐mortem taphonomic changes, including cut marks, burning and fracturing. Previous analyses have discussed explanations for these changes, including secondary burial, ritual destruction and cannibalism. Researchers have theorised that, allowing for differences in anatomy among species, humans and animals butchered for the same purpose (consumption) will show similar patterns of taphonomic changes associated with butchery. The human remains at the Richards Site were disposed in general midden pits containing mixed cultural debris and faunal remains. White‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) constitutes approximately 60% of all the faunal bone, indicating that it was a major food resource. To test a cannibalism explanation, a comparative analysis of human‐induced taphonomy in human and deer skeletal remains was performed, using chi‐square and odds ratio tests. If humans were being used as a food resource, the pattern of butchery seen would mirror that of the deer. The analysis described here compares the patterns of treatment and disposal of human and deer skeletal elements at the Richards site, to test whether both species were used as food resources. Similar types of evidence for human‐induced taphonomic changes, including cutting, chopping, burning and breakage, can be seen in both species. However, results indicate that, in general, human remains show much more evidence of perimortem treatment than do deer remains. In fact, the common odds ratio for perimortem treatment in all bones is 3.25, indicating that a human bone is 3.25 times as likely as a deer bone to be affected by burning, cutting or chopping. This probably indicates that perimortem treatment of humans was greater than that necessary simply for butchering for consumption. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dietary Stress and Animal Resource Use at the Postclassic Maya city,Mayapán (Mexico)

ABSTRACT

Environmental changes resulting in drought and reductions in the availability of animal resources during the Late Classic Maya have been linked with the Maya ‘collapse’. Decreases in availability of dietary staples such as artiodactyls, and particularly white-tailed deer, during the Late Classic period would have placed food stress on populations during later periods. To test this hypothesis, here bone breakage patterns are examined at the Postclassic Maya city, Mayapán, to assess whether artiodactyl bones were being intensively processed for bone fats (marrow and grease). Fragmentation morphology, size and surface markings, along with skeletal part representation and distribution of large mammal bones were recorded for bone assemblages from several houselots. Evidence suggests the Maya were likely utilising bone marrow from artiodactyls but not intensively and they were not extracting bone grease. These results indicate that decreased accessibility to artiodactyls during the Postclassic was not causing high levels of dietary stress for the Maya at Mayapán, which is consistent with recent evidence demonstrating dietary consistency during the Postclassic in northern Yucatan.     

Fishing in Denmark during the Ertebølle periodxs

Fishing in Denmark during the Ertebølle period is discussed on the basis of almost 100000 identified fishbones from 14 coastal and two inland settlements. Forty-one fish species were identified from coastal materials, 15 from inland ones. The frequency distribution of total body length of the numerically most important fish species was estimated from bone measurements, using logarithmic regression equations. Otoliths were analysed in order to provide an estimate of season of catch. The main conclusion of the study is that fishing was predominantly conducted by means of stationary fish traps with which uncritical samples of the local fish faunas were taken. Regional differences in the spectrum of species and their relative frequencies are shown to exist. Examples of connections between the coast and inland are given.     

Carcass damage and digested bone from mountain lions (Felis concolor): implications for carcass persistence on landscapes as a function of prey age

This actualistic study examines the taphonomic signatures of modern free-ranging mountain lions (Felis concolor) on prey skeletal remains left at kill sites and digested bone fragments in the lions’ scats. Conducted in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico (U.S.A.), the study and its outcomes are relevant to models of carcass persistence and scavenging opportunities on ancient landscapes. Mountain lions in the study area ingested disproportionate quantities of bone from very young prey. This tendency holds true irrespective of prey body size. The results meanwhile confirm a relatively mild pattern of damage to adult deer carcasses. Digestive erosion of the surfaces of bones that passed through the gut was relatively severe, but many of these bone and tooth specimens retained identifiable features. It is clear that the mountain lions quickly remove the carcasses of very young prey from the pool of potentially scavenge-able resources. The non-linear relation between bone destruction from feeding by the cats and the skeletal maturity of prey also has consequences for prey mortality patterns, specifically a bias against the representation of very young individuals. This effect is not sufficient, however, to produce a global bias to prime-adult prey because older juveniles are much less affected.     

Neandertal foraging during the late Mousterian in the Pyrenees: new insights based on faunal remains from Gatzarria Cave

This article presents the initial results of a new study of faunal remains from Gatzarria Cave, a Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition site the Pyrenees of southwestern France (department of the Pyrénées Atlantiques). This study attempts to document diet breadth during the late Mousterian, while paying due attention to recently identified problems regarding the stratigraphic context of the assemblages. The faunal analysis focuses on a subset of late Mousterian faunal remains from layer Cj at the site. Taphonomic analysis suggests that humans were the primary bone accumulators. The assemblage is dominated by a single large-bodied species, red deer; smaller-bodied ungulates are poorly represented. Skeletal part representation indicates that within-bone nutrients contained in marrow were probably a key resource for these foragers. The overall pattern of remains is interpreted as evidence of narrow-spectrum foraging, a pattern which appears to be repeated at other Mousterian sites in the Pyrenees region. This may mean that local Neandertal populations existed at relatively low densities. However, this suggestion must be tempered by the fact that settlement patterns, including occupation seasonalities and site functions, are not yet well understood for this region.     

Probable evidences of bone accumulation by Pleistocene bearded vulture at the archaeological site of El Mirón Cave (Spain)

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), a bird or prey that mainly feeds on bones of large mammal carcasses, has been recently evidenced as an accumulating agent with significant contributions to palaeontological assemblages in caves and shelters, but extremely rare at archaeological sites. The results of the taphonomic analyses carried out in the Upper Palaeolithic layers of El Mirón Cave (Cantabrian Spain), which are presented here, evidence the existence of special digestive marks and a typical skeletal pattern in a noticeable amount of small and medium-sized ungulates bones. This fact suggest that a representative part of the bone assemblage has been caused by bearded vultures, and strengthens the idea that this bird has to be definitely included among other potential non-human accumulators in archaeological sites.     

The Role of Bubo virginianus magellanicus as Rodent Bone Accumulator in Archaeological Sites: A Case Study for the Atuel River (Mendoza,Argentina)

Micromammalian bone assemblages from modern pellets of the strigiform Bubo virginianus magellanicus, from the upper Atuel River (southern Mendoza, Argentina), were taphonomically analysed. The results allow us to place B. v. magellanicus in the category of intermediate modification (Category 2). This sample has also been compared with results from other members of this genus, in order to classify B. v. magellanicus as a taphonomic agent. The participation of the Bubo species in archaeological accumulations has been documented, but in Argentina, the role of B. v. magellanicus has been reported up to the present. It is partly because of the sequence of one archaeological site in the south of Mendoza Province called Laguna El Sosneado‐3 (LS‐3). However, considering the absence of a current taphonomic model of this owl, this participation was mentioned as a hypothesis. In the current investigation, archaeological and modern samples have been compared. The results indicate that the skeletal element assemblages recovered from LS‐3 were accumulated by strigiform birds. Taphonomical evidence of light modifications on units I and IV indicates that Tyto alba (Category 1) was probably the main species involved in these units, whereas the taphonomical evidence on skeletal element assemblages recovered from units II and III suggests the action of a strigiform with a major category of modification such as B. v. magellanicus. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

灵宝西坡遗址的肉食消费模式——骨骼部位发现率、表面痕迹及破碎度

本文对河南灵宝西坡遗址出土动物的骨骼部位发现率、表面痕迹、破碎度及空间分布进行了详细分析,旨在通过建构遗址的肉食消费模式,认识仰韶文化中期中心聚落的经济社会状况。结果表明,绝大多数的猪和鹿很可能是在居住址被屠宰和消费的,后埋藏过程对骨骼表面的影响很小,人们对骨髓和脂肪的需求是造成骨骼破碎的主要原因。西坡没有把猪用作祭祀动物,而是作为宴饮活动中的消费对象。宴饮可能用来创造和强化社会群体的认同感,并为某些个人或群体获取威望提供竞争机会。     

CHARACTERIZING THE DIET OF INDIVIDUALS AT THE NEOLITHIC CHAMBERED TOMB OF HAZLETON NORTH,GLOUCESTERSHIRE, ENGLAND,USING STABLE ISOTOPIC ANALYSIS*

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions were measured on human and faunal bones, sampled from the Neolithic chambered tomb of Hazleton North, Gloucestershire, UK. The values were used to characterize the diet of the burial community as a whole. Humans were higher in δ¹⁵N by 4.5–5.0‰ relative to animal δ¹⁵N, from which we conclude that, based on currently accepted interpretations of isotopic data, the humans consumed a diet that was very high in meat or animal products (75% by weight of protein). Comparison was also possible between cortical and cancellous femoral collagen, with the results showing no significant difference for the adult humans. The sample of human isotopic values showed little variability, in contrast to that found in the domestic and wild animals from the site (including cattle, pigs, sheep and deer). We suggest that this is due to local environmental differences, rather than to environmental change over time or physiological differences between individual animals, and that this pattern is likely to hold for many other archaeological sites when analysed with sufficient statistical weight.     

Tending and drive hunting: A density-mediated attrition model can explain age profiles of white-tailed deer at Iroquoian village sites

In a 1993 paper, Noble and Crerar suggested, based on the age and sex distribution of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) longbones from four Attawandaron Iroquoian sites around the western end of Lake Ontario, that the contact-period Attawandaron were managing local deer populations, in response to the aboriginal trade in hides. Having observed similar patterns of differential preservation of elements and epiphyseal fusion at nearby Iroquoian sites that are not ascribed to the Attawandaron, and which pre-date the hypothesised trading period, we argue that these patterns may instead relate to bone density and/or vulnerability to taphonomic effects of late-fusing epiphyses. We further support our argument through age profiles based on dental eruption and wear.     

Hiding to eat: the role of carnivores in the early Middle Pleistocene from the TD8 level of Gran Dolina (Sierra de Atapuerca,Burgos, Spain)

Damage generated by large and small carnivores is common in many Middle Pleistocene sites. However, identifying the predator that produces the faunal accumulations is often a difficult task. In order to recognize the main type of carnivore that acts on a faunal assemblage, a combination of several characteristics should be taken into account: taxonomic and skeletal element representation, age profiles, carnivore damage (location, frequencies and dimensions of tooth-marks, bone breakage and digested bones), degree of fragmentation and frequencies of coprolites. But, adding environmental characteristics and the ethology of non-human predators/scavengers is also important. All these aspects are applied to the faunal assemblage from the TD8 level of the Gran Dolina site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain). Paleomagnetic data combined with ESR and U-series place the TD8 level at the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene, specifically circa 700 kyr ago. The TD8 level contains a large faunal accumulation primarily composed of ungulate skeletal elements, and to a lesser extent carnivore remains. This assemblage is characterized by an overrepresentation of fallow deer (Dama vallonetensis), a skeletal profile biased towards cranial remains and limb bones, diversity of ages at death, a high proportion of carnivore damage and tooth-marks of large size, and an absence of human activity. According to these data, the accumulation seems to have been produced primarily by large carnivores, possibly hyenas. This observation does not rule out the possible occasional activity by other carnivores. Nevertheless, the characteristics of the TD8 assemblage do not correlate entirely with those traditionally used to define carnivore dens. In TD8, there are (1) no immature carnivore remains (remains of just one young Mosbach wolf); (2) scarce traces related to the end stages of consumption and some anatomical connexions; (3) few coprolites; (4) high proportion of adult ungulates and; (5) high quantities of whole bones and epiphyses. From this perspective, the TD8 faunal assemblage seems to correspond to a succession of carnivore occupations that allows the development of a suite of features to identify the activities of several species of predators that may have used the cave in different ways and durations. This study aims to emphasize the importance of these analyzes in order to know the behaviour of different non-human predators/scavengers in the European Middle Pleistocene sites.     

Subsistence continuity,change, and environmental adaptation at the site of Nugljanska,Istria, Croatia

This paper investigates changes in subsistence strategies at the upland cave site of Nugljanska (Croatia) at the end of the last ice age, during a time of rapid sea level rise and changing environment. We analysed the faunal assemblage from archaeological levels spanning the Pleistocene–Holocene transition (15,000–8000 years BP) and evaluated changes in relative abundance of species, measured species diversity, and compared the representation of terrestrial mammal and marine resources. We found a significant shift in the most abundant prey species exploited (from red deer, Cervus, to wild boar, Sus). There was some correlation between dietary diversification and periods of increased moisture availability and the spread of deciduous forest in the area. Our results suggest that there was a continuing reliance on terrestrial resources throughout time and that changes in dietary patterns were likely due to local environmental change and potentially, changing seasonal mobility strategies, at the Pleistocene–Holocene transition.     

Selection and Exploitation of Macro‐Vertebrate Resources During the Upper Palaeolithic in Northern Spain. New Evidence from Coímbre Cave (Peñamellera Alta,Asturias)

The exploitation of ungulates in the Cantabrian region during the Upper Palaeolithic is characterized by the appearance of progressively specialized hunting strategies, especially during the Magdalenian. This specialization focused on either Iberian ibex or red deer, depending on environmental or topographic features. Red deer, for instance, was hunted mostly on the plains while ibex and/or chamois was hunted in rocky and mountainous areas. Here we present new zooarchaeological and taphonomic evidence from Coímbre cave (northern Spain), a site located in the rugged region between the Picos de Europa and Sierra del Cuera (Asturias) which has evidence for specialized ibex hunting. We discuss the possible reasons for such a selective hunting pattern. While the predominance of mountain species such as Iberian ibex or chamois in the Magdalenian levels suggests prey selection based on topographic or environmental criteria, the predominance of large bovids in the Gravettian level could imply that other alternatives were available. We also provide evidence of a pattern of rabbit exploitation which is unusual by comparison with other Upper Palaeolithic sites of northern Spain, and which taphonomic evidence suggests was due to human activity.     

The lower paleolithic of the Near East

The Near East forms the geographic crossroads between Africa, Asia and Europe and was certainly a main route for the dispersal of Homo erectusinto Eurasia. The study of Lower Paleolithic sites in this region and in the neighboring Caucasus area sheds some light on several potential colonization events. Sites such as Ubeidiya (Jordan Valley) and Dmanisi (Georgia) suggest the early sorties took place around 1.4-1.0 Ma. Despite the lack of radiometric dates, sequences of raised beaches, marine deposits, river terraces, and paleolake formations have enabled various investigators to identify several series of major aggradation and erosion periods within the Pleistocene. Lithic assemblages derived from a few systematic excavations and collections from stratigraphically dated outcrops led to a threefold subdivision of the Acheulian sequence into the Lower, Middle, and Upper Acheulian. The study of nonbiface assemblages, however, has not resolved the question of whether these assemblages deserve inclusion as separate entities or should be viewed as sites within the Acheulian settlement pattern. While the typotechnological definitions of each major phase can be compared to what is known from other regions of the Old World, the Acheulo-Yabrudian (or the Mugharan Tradition) is seen as a local entity. Rare human remains and scarce data concerning subsistence activities do not warrant a comparative discussion with what is known from African and some European sites.     

The Paleolithic of Central Asia

The Lower Paleolithic of Central Asia is represented by several sealed and more or less firmly dated Lower–Middle Pleistocene cave and open-air sites in the southeastern part and by more numerous surface occurrences throughout the region. The assemblages assigned to the Lower Paleolithic form two rather distinct groups, one remarkable for well-made handaxes and the other characterized by cores and flakes with no handaxes. The distribution map of pebble industries and industries with handaxes shows that while the latter originate from the western regions of Central Asia, the former are concentrated in the eastern part of the area. The Middle Paleolithic assemblages of Central Asia do not form a single technocomplex. Their variability in time is difficult to assess, but variation in space is obvious. Very few Upper Paleolithic sites in this region are known. At the same time, their stone industries are very diverse and most of them differ sharply from each other and from sites in adjacent regions.