Periodical use of the Balve Cave (NW Germany) as a Late Pleistocene Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss 1823) den: Hyena occupations and bone accumulations vs. human Middle Palaeolithic activity

Abstract

A relatively high amount of hyena Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823) remains at the Palaeolithic archaeological cave site Balve Cave (Sauerland Karst, NW Germany) and many chewed prey bones indicate periodic repeated use by hyenas. They reared their cubs and imported many prey remains. Most probably, Ice Age spotted hyenas occupied the Balve Cave for only a few years but at several times, which is sufficient time for a high amount of accumulated bones of any kind of mega mammals, of which the best den indicators are bones of the woolly rhinoceros. Comparisons with incomplete Coelodonta antiquitatis and other megafauna bones at seven other hyena den caves in the Sauerland Karst of northwestern Germany which have no human remains or impact show similar bone assemblages and bone preservation. The separation of human and animal prey remain is only possible in some cases, where cutting or hitting marks on bones can be observed. Generally it seems that humans smashed large mammoth bones into pieces for the use as burning material, resulting in “bone coal” layers. In the Late Pleistocene, fewer cave bears, then hyenas and finally mainly Neanderthalians (Micoqien/Moustérien) used the cave. In the Early to Early Late Weichselian, the first modern humans of the Aurignacien settled at the cave entrance. After the maximum cold period, this site was reused by Late Magdalenians when hyenas were already extinct in northern Europe.