Determination of season-of-death and age-at-death by cementum increment analysis of horses Equus ferus (Boddaert, 1785) from cultural layer IVa at Upper Paleolithic site Kostenki 14 (Markina Gora) (Voronezh region, Russia)

Abstract

The study of growth layers in dental cementum is a well-established method of determining the season-of-death and age-at-death of mammals. The material for this study was the teeth of horses Equus ferus (Boddaert, 1785) found in cultural layer IVa of the multilayered Upper Paleolithic site Kostenki 14 (Markina Gora) (Voronezh Region, Russia). A large number of bone remains of horses was found in layer IVa. Until now, the question of whether these animals died at the same time or at different times remained open. This study analyzed 38 permanent buccal teeth belonging to 26 individuals. Those teeth were studied in thin sections and polished sections under transmitted, reflected, and polarized light. The analysis of growth layers in dental cementum showed different seasons of the horses’ death. Fourteen individuals died in the warm season, and four – during the cold season. All the horses studied belong to reproductive-aged adults. Estimates of age-at-death obtained by cementum increment analysis and crown-height analysis turned out to be very close in accuracy. Our results of the season-of-death prove that horses lived on the territory of the Voronezh region year-round. With trace confirmation of cutting marks on horse carcasses from layer IVa, our results will confirm that 40–41 ka ancient humans lived in the Voronezh region year-round.