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A rallying point for different predators: the avian record from a Late Pleistocene sequence of Grotte des Barasses II (Balazuc, Ardèche, France)

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Abstract

The presence of processed birds in the archeological faunal record is considered key to assessing human dietary evolution. Taphonomic studies on birds from sites older than Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2 have become relevant in the last few years, leading to the proposal of more complex scenarios of human subsistence. Several works have demonstrated direct evidence of bird consumption by Homo prior to anatomically modern humans in Europe; however, others support the hypothesis of non-anthropogenic bird accumulations. This has led to the necessity of determining what elements or factors cause the human exploitation of birds in some archeological sites before the end of the Pleistocene. The Grotte des Barasses II site is located within this framework. Short-term human occupations have been attested by the presence of lithic tools and processed macrofaunal remains. Additionally, a small assemblage of bird bones has also been recovered. Here, we present a detailed taphonomic study with the aim of exploring possible relationships between these avian taxa and human occupations. Despite the fact that Neanderthals inhabited the cave, avian specimens show damage pointing to different causative agents. Direct evidence (digestion, gnawing) indicates that mammalian carnivores and nocturnal raptors were mainly involved in the accumulation of bird bones. We propose some factors that might determine whether or not small game was exploited in this specific locality and emphasize the importance of such analytical approaches in the general interpretations of the Pleistocene sites.

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Acknowledgements

The fieldworks were supported by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication (Regional Office of Archeology Rhône-Alpes) and the Ardèche Department. This research is part of the collective research program (PCR) “Espaces et subsistance au Paléolithique Moyen dans le Massif central” funded by the Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Région Aquitaine, and local authorities of Haute-Loire and Ardèche. We would like to express our gratitude to Marie-Hélène Moncel and Jean-Paul Raynal for allowing us to collaborate in their collective research project. Anna Rufà is a beneficiary of a pre-doctoral grant FPU (FPU12/00238), financially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, Science, and Sports. This work has also been developed within the framework of the Spanish MICINN projects CGL2015-68604-P and HAR2016-76760-C3-1-P, the Generalitat de Catalunya-AGAUR projects 2014 SGR 900 and 2014/100573, and the SéNeCa Foundation project 19434/PI/14. Also, we want to acknowledge Núria Ibáñez and Lluís García for their help with the identification of some of the avian specimens.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), C/ Marcel·lí Domingo s/n. Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain

    Anna Rufà

  2. Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya, 35, 43002, Tarragona, Spain

    Anna Rufà

  3. Centro Nacional de Investigación en Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain

    Ruth Blasco

  4. 6 Rue Clément Roassal, F-06000, Nice, France

    Thierry Roger

  5. Archéologie des Sociétés Méditerranéennes (ASM, UMR 5140), Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France

    Mathieu Rué

  6. Histoire Naturelle de l’Homme Préhistorique (HNHP, UMR 7194), Sorbonne Universités, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia; Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 1 rue René Panhard, 75013, Paris, France

    Camille Daujeard

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  1. Anna Rufà
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  2. Ruth Blasco
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Correspondence to Anna Rufà.

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Rufà, A., Blasco, R., Roger, T. et al. A rallying point for different predators: the avian record from a Late Pleistocene sequence of Grotte des Barasses II (Balazuc, Ardèche, France). Archaeol Anthropol Sci 10, 1459–1476 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-017-0469-6

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