Exploitation Of Animal Resources Research Articles

New evidence for prehistoric ploughing in Europe

For the past four decades, the ‘Secondary Products Revolution’ model, i.e., the exploitation of animal resources that do not involve killing the animal, such as the production of milk and wool and the use of animals for physical labour has been the object of heated discussion between Neolithic scholars. According to this model, the use of animal strength arrived relatively late in Europe—during the socio-economic changes of the Late Neolithic in the 4th millennium BCE. Plough marks are the most convincing direct evidence of the use of animal traction. However, few are preserved making them relatively rare throughout Europe and dating them is difficult and often imprecise. Recent research at the Anciens Arsenaux site in Sion, Valais, Switzerland has revealed the presence of the oldest known plough marks in Europe, dating from the beginning of the 5th millennium BCE. They bear witness to the use of animal traction quite soon after the establishment of an agro-pastoral economy in the Alpine region. This is corroborated by recent archaeozoological studies and suggests that this important innovation could already be part of the Neolithic package introduced into Europe during the 6th millennium BCE.

Plant foods in the Late Palaeolithic of Southern Italy and Sicily: Integrating carpological and dental calculus evidence

Several caves from Southern Italy and Sicily provided invaluable evidence, including several human burials, for reconstructing human adaptations and subsistence in the area during the Upper Palaeolithic. A wealth of information is available concerning the exploitation of animal resources as food. However, little is still known about the role of plants in the diet of the ancient hunter-gatherers of the region. By combining the carpological data with vegetal micro-debris entrapped in human dental calculus, we provide new clues about the dietary role of plant foods in the analysed area during the Late Glacial. Our study focused on five key sites from Southern Italy and Sicily: Grotta della Serratura in Campania, Grotta del Romito in Calabria, Grotta del Cavallo in Apulia, Grotta di San Teodoro and Grotta d’Oriente in Sicily. Our results demonstrate that several plant resources were exploited at these sites, including seeds, grasses, and fruits. Amongst the carpological remains recovered, several plant taxa are known for their medical properties. Overall, our study explores how critical climatic and environmental changes characterising the timeframe between the end of the Last Glacial Maximum and the beginning of the Holocene affected Late Upper Palaeolithic dietary habits. Moreover, it shows the methodological relevance of combining different strands of archaeological evidence for reconstructing the Palaeolithic diet.

Geometric morphometrics reveal relationship between cut-mark morphology and cutting tools

The analysis of bone-surface modifications (BSM), such as butchering marks, is necessary to better understand how the exploitation of animal resources by past hominins influenced their biological and cultural evolution. In this paper, we try to quantify to what extent the depth of the cut marks influences the shape of their cross sections. This is of crucial importance for a valid interpretation of the shape data collected on archaeological BSMs. Two groups of slicing cut-mark cross sections were experimentally produced with two flint burins on a defleshed cattle innominate, and a set of butchering marks were produced with an unretouched flint flake. These were analysed by means of 3D microscopy and geometric morphometrics. The resulting sets of striae show different depths and different cross-sectional shapes. Shallower cross sections display less steep walls and, consequently, a wider opening angle. When the characteristics of the burin cutting edges were investigated, it was clear that the difference in shape between the two groups of striations was probably a function of the way in which the tool penetrated the bone. These results are taphonomically relevant since similar differences in cross-sectional shapes have been found in marks produced with different tools.

Los ambientes acuáticos en arqueología

Fil: Prates, Luciano Raul. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Division Arqueologia; Argentina

Middle Pleistocene human occupation in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula during cold climate conditions: Zooarchaeology and taphonomy of ETB-H02 site in the Manzanares valley (Madrid, Spain)

Evidence suggesting human occupation in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula during cold periods of the Middle Pleistocene is scarce. The Estanque de Tormentas (ETB-H02) site (Manzanares Valley, Madrid) matches with a MIS 6 or MIS 7 cold event, which allows us to tackle the study of the human occupation of the highlands of the Spanish Meseta during a cold climate event.ETB-H02 is one of the few Middle Pleistocene open air sites of the Iberian Peninsula where lithic industry associated with faunal remains has been preserved. The bone remains have been recovered from several different stratigraphic levels excavated in an area 1029 m2. It can be inferred from the taphonomic and zooarcheological analyses of those remains that occasional human occupations occurred at this site, during which lithic tools were used for processing individuals of aurochs, horses, wild donkeys and deer. In addition, carcasses of animals that probably died due to natural causes have been preserved. Some were modified by carnivores although not intensively, judging by the scarce number of tooth marks.In conclusion, ETB-H02 supports the hypothesis that the continental climate and the height of the highlands of the Iberian Peninsula were not an obstacle to occupation in the Middle Pleistocene cold times. Besides, unlike other sites of the interior of the Iberian Peninsula that show occasional occupations, in ETB-H02 the human occupation happened recurrently, as human-processed faunal remains have been recovered from different levels and sub-levels, implying repeated visits to this environment, which would offer specific advantages regarding the exploitation of animal resources.

La fracturation osseuse : du fait technique à l’essai d’interprétation sociétale : l’exemple de l’antilope saïga du gisement magdalénien de Saint-Germain-la-Rivière (Gironde)

La fracturation osseuse est une pratique couramment observée sur les gisements paléolithiques, celle-ci intervenant dans diverses chaînes opératoires de transformation et d’utilisation des ressources animales, notamment alimentaires. La moelle osseuse, contenue dans la cavité médullaire des os longs, est une ressource alimentaire non négligeable pour de nombreux groupes humains, en particulier dans les zones périglaciaires, tels les Nunamiuts d’Alaska ou les Koriaks de Sibérie. Différents procédés sont mis en oeuvre pour sa récupération ; leur variabilité s’explique en partie par l’existence de traditions techniques et de modes de consommation de la moelle, propres aux différents groupes. Ces traditions entraînent souvent une standardisation des procédés de fracturation à l’intérieur de chaque groupe. De tels schémas récurrents sont-ils perceptibles dans le registre paléolithique ? Si oui, est-il possible de mettre en évidence une transmission des gestes relatifs à la récupération de la moelle ? Afin d’apporter des éléments de réponse à ces questions nous proposons dans le cadre de cet article, une étude détaillée des traces de percussion observées sur les os longs d’antilope saïga (Saiga tatarica), provenant de l’ensemble supérieur Magdalénien moyen de Saint-Germain-la-Rivière (Gironde). Les schémas observés ont ensuite été comparés à ceux décrits dans la littérature afin d’apprécier leurs spécificités et de discuter des paramètres ayant pu influer sur cette répartition des traces. Les vestiges fauniques de Saint-Germain-la-Rivière sont intensément fracturés et présentent de nombreuses traces de percussion d’origine anthropique attribuables à cette activité de fracturation de l’os. Des récurrences dans la localisation des traces de percussion ont pu être mises en évidence. Celles-ci varient selon les éléments squelettiques considérés et sont plus ou moins marquées. L’existence de telles récurrences tend à prouver que la disposition des points d’impact dépend d’un choix délibéré. Ces choix ne semblent pas être dictés exclusivement par l’existence de contraintes mécaniques (e. g. la structure osseuse) ou ergonomiques spécifiques aux éléments squelettiques. Par ailleurs, l’existence d’une variabilité inter-et intra-spécifique, observable d''après les données de la littérature laisse à penser qu’il s’agit de choix dictés en partie par un facteur culturel. L’analyse des traces de percussion a également permis de mettre en évidence, dans certains cas, la présence de plusieurs points d’impact sur une surface réduite. L’une des hypothèses que l’on peut émettre ici serait qu’il y ait eu plusieurs tentatives pour fracturer l’os. Ces pièces posent alors la question de l’acharnement et de la maîtrise du geste et pourraient évoquer des os fracturés par des novices.

Exploitation of faunal resources by hunter-gatherers in the center of the Pampa grasslands during the Holocene: The archaeofauna of the Laguna Cabeza de Buey 2 site (San Carlos de Bolivar, Buenos Aires, Argentina)

The purpose of this paper is to present a detailed zooarchaeological study conducted on the bone assemblage from the Laguna Cabeza de Buey 2 site, located on the margins of a small shallow lake in the center of the Pampa grasslands (province of Buenos Aires, Argentina). Taxonomic structure, taphonomic information, site formation processes, and subsistence strategies for different occupation events are described and discussed. At least three events of pre-Hispanic occupation (two in the Middle Holocene [6800 and 4150 14C years BP] and one in the Late Holocene) and one in Historical moments were identified. Human occupations are developed in relation to a shallow lake under a climate more arid during the Middle Holocene, which decreased up to the current environmental conditions; humid temperate. The camelid Lama guanicoe (guanaco) was always the most important economic resource during the three events of human occupation in the Holocene, followed by Ozotoceros bezoarticus (pampean deer) and, to a lesser extent, by three species of small armadillos (Chaetophractus sp., Zaedyus pichiy, and Tolypeutes matacus). In Historical times, modern domestic faunal remains (Equus caballus and Bos taurus) were exploited. A subsistence strategy focused on artiodactyls, mainly guanaco, allows suggesting certain specialization through time in the exploitation of animal resources by hunter-gatherer groups in the center of the Pampa grasslands, strategy that contrasts with what is recorded in other areas of the Pampean region.

Osseous industry and exploitation of animal resources in Southern Iberia during the Upper Palaeolithic

During the Upper Palaeolithic, several climatic events were recorded in some archaeological sites in the Southern Iberian Peninsula. The aim is to focus on the relations between those phenomena and the mammal species hunted by hunter-gatherers groups, and whose bones were used, along with lithics, as raw material for manufacturing their bone toolkits. Hunter-gatherers seemed to have had a preference on hunting ungulates species that are gregarious such as red deer and goat, one of the characteristics of the faunal assemblages from the archaeological sites located near the coastal zones, including Vale Boi and Cendres in Southern Iberia. Regarding their toolkits, there was a preference in choosing mammal bone for the manufacture of their hunting and fishing equipment, as well as other utensils of daily life, during the Gravettian and Solutrean. Hunter-gatherers were preferably hunting juvenile and female red deer that do not have antlers. The opposite occurred during the Magdalenian, where red deer antler was used much more as a raw material. The Final Magdalenian and Epimagdalenian saw a decrease in the quantities of osseous artefacts and even a total absence of harpoons in Southern Iberian archaeological assemblages.

Seasonality and season of birth in early Eneolithic sheep from Cheia (Romania): methodological advances and implications for animal economy

Cheia (early 5th millennium cal BC) is a prehistoric village in the Dobrodgea province in Romania. Its occupation is attributed to the Early Eneolithic period or Hamangia III phase. The exploitation of animal resources is heavily dominated by husbandry. Although cattle are dominant, they were complemented by caprines, mainly sheep, exploited for tender meat (as highlighted by a 6–12 months age class peak in the mortality profile). Sheep reproduction patterns were investigated through stable isotope analyses in order to characterize the annual rhythms of slaughtering for tender meat acquisition while informing a more general picture on sheep demographical management and animal husbandry at the settlement. Results from δ18O analysis on second and third molar enamel were modeled and compared with modern reference populations. Sheep births took place over less than four months, from late winter to early summer. From this it could be concluded that tender meat could be provided most of the year, excepted over short period in early summer. Finally, comparison of datasets obtained on the M2 and M3 suggests that the M2 presents a more accurate representation of birth seasonality due to lower inter-individual variability in the chronology of tooth growth.

Middle–Upper Palaeolithic transition in Southern Italy: Uluzzian macromammals from Grotta del Cavallo (Apulia)

A taphonomic study of macromammal remains found in Uluzzian layer EIII5 of Grotta del Cavallo (Apulia, southern Italy) was conducted to obtain information about exploitation of animal resources in this period. The Uluzzian is a distinctive culture characterizing the Middle–Upper Palaeolithic transition in Italy. Comparison of the sample analyzed with Mousterian assemblages from sites in the same region showed significant differences in skeletal part frequencies, whereas similarities were found with data of Gravettian and Epigravettian samples discovered in other Apulian sites. These results suggest probable changes in the management of carcasses by prehistoric hunters living in the region.

Hunting strategies and exploitation of animal resources in Upper-Late Magdalenian layers of El Horno (Ramales, province of Cantabria, Spain)

Le site de El Horno a livre de nombreux vestiges archeologiques attribues au Magdalenien superieur parmi lesquels les restes osseux sont bien conserves. L’etude taphonomique montre que les ensembles osseux sont d’origine essentiellement anthropique. Le Bouquetin domine tres nettement les spectres fauniques qui apparaissent largement specialises. Des proies adultes chassees probablement a la fin de l’hiver et au debut du printemps ont ete majoritairement abattues par les Magdaleniens. Les carcasses de Bouquetin et de Cerf semblent avoir ete introduites sous forme de quartiers apres boucherie initiale au niveau du site d’abattage. L’etude des traces de boucherie et du degre de fragmentation des assemblages atteste une exploitation exhaustive des ressources alimentaires fournies par les carcasses animales. La comparaison menee sur les ensembles osseux du Magdalenien superieur-finaldu centre de la Region Cantabrique montre que, au niveau des tableaux de chasse, El Horno est tres proche de la couche 2 de Rascano. En revanche, que ce soit pour le transport ou le traitement des carcasses, les pratiques apparaissent largement similaires sur l’ensemble des sites pris en compte.

Late Upper Paleolithic Subsistence Strategies in Southern Iberia: Tardiglacial Faunas from Cueva de Nerja (Malaga, Spain)

Faunal reports from Magdalenian levels at Cueva de Nerja have been surveyed from both a taxonomic and a paleocultural standpoint in order to spot overall and specific patterns concerning the exploitation of animal resources. Although both diachronic and inter-site comparisons are limited due to the scarcity of data and the assemblages themselves have been studied by different scientists with different aims and methods, both first- and second-order magnitude patterns emerge from this study. The most important pattern concerns the constancy of the main subsistence basis throughout the periods under consideration despite dramatic differences in the diversity of cropped resources. Such a result substantiates, to a certain extent, the hypotheses concerning an intensification of cropping by humans during the latest stages of the upper Paleolithic (a phenomenon which we have named the 'Tardiglacial paradigm').

Late Upper Paleolithic Subsistence Strategies in southern Iberia: Tardiglacial Faunas from Cueva de Nerja (Málaga, Spain)

Faunal reports from Magdalenian levels at Cueva de Nerja have been surveyed from both a taxonomic and a paleocultural standpoint in order to spot overall and specific patterns concerning the exploitation of animal resources. Although both diachronic and inter-site comparisons are limited due to the scarcity of data and the assemblages themselves have been studied by different scientists with different aims and methods, both first- and second-order magnitude patterns emerge from this study. The most important pattern concerns the constancy of the main subsistence basis throughout the periods under consideration despite dramatic differences in the diversity of cropped resources. Such a result substantiates, to a certain extent, the hypotheses concerning an intensification of cropping by humans during the latest stages of the upper Paleolithic (a phenomenon which we have named the ‘Tardiglacial paradigm’).

Late upper Paleolithic subsistence strategies in southern Iberia: Tardiglacial faunas from Cueva de Nerja (Málaga, Spain)

Faunal reports from Magdalenian levels at Cueva de Nerja have been surveyed from both a taxonomic and a paleocultural standpoint in order to spot overall and specific patterns concerning the exploitation of animal resources. Although both diachronic and inter-site comparisons are limited due to the scarcity of data and the assemblages themselves have been studied by different scientists with different aims and methods, both first- and second-order magnitude patterns emerge from this study. The most important pattern concerns the constancy of the main subsistence basis throughout the periods under consideration despite dramatic differences in the diversity of cropped resources. Such a result substantiates, to a certain extent, the hypotheses concerning an intensification of cropping by humans during the latest stages of the upper Paleolithic (a phenomenon which we have named the ‘Tardiglacial paradigm’).