A taste of an elephant: The probable role of elephant meat in Paleolithic diet preferences

Reshef, Hagar; Barkai, Ran

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2015.06.002

Cited by 20 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Changes in isotopic niche partitioning among herbivorous prey species have been attributed to a decline of the mammoth population and the spread of the horse in the under-occupied niche 43 . Based on the finding that both UPMHs and Neandertals had a preference for mammoth meat, as demonstrated in this study and elsewhere 61 , 62 , a more detailed investigation into human-ecosystem interactions should offer crucial knowledge about the ecological role Neandertals and UPMHs played. Consequently, we investigated the ecological setting on a chronological scale spanning from around 45,000 to 25,000 years ago in the broader region of Western Europe, representing sites contemporaneous with late Neandertals and UPMHs (Supplementary Fig.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 55%

Stable isotopes reveal patterns of diet and mobility in the last Neandertals and first modern humans in Europe

Wißing

Rougier

Baumann

et al. 2019

Sci Rep

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Correlating cultural, technological and ecological aspects of both Upper Pleistocene modern humans (UPMHs) and Neandertals provides a useful approach for achieving robust predictions about what makes us human. Here we present ecological information for a period of special relevance in human evolution, the time of replacement of Neandertals by modern humans during the Late Pleistocene in Europe. Using the stable isotopic approach, we shed light on aspects of diet and mobility of the late Neandertals and UPMHs from the cave sites of the Troisième caverne of Goyet and Spy in Belgium. We demonstrate that their diet was essentially similar, relying on the same terrestrial herbivores, whereas mobility strategies indicate considerable differences between Neandertal groups, as well as in comparison to UPMHs. Our results indicate that UPMHs exploited their environment to a greater extent than Neandertals and support the hypothesis that UPMHs had a substantial impact not only on the population dynamics of large mammals but also on the whole structure of the ecosystem since their initial arrival in Europe.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 55%

Stable isotopes reveal patterns of diet and mobility in the last Neandertals and first modern humans in Europe

Wißing

Rougier

Baumann

et al. 2019

Sci Rep

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“…Skulls and mandibles were selected, perhaps for the processing of head nutrition (brain, tongue, facial muscles, etc.) in the cave, as suggested by the elephant exploitation pattern (Agam & Barkai, ; Reshef & Ran, ). Furthermore, the upper part of the rhinoceros leg has more meat than the lower part, and the feet bear abundant fat in the sole; they also thus are chosen for transport.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus hemitoechus) exploitation in Level F at the Caune de l'Arago (Tautavel, Pyrénéés‐Orientales, France) during MIS 12

Chen

Moigne

2018

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Caune de l'Arago is a Middle Pleistocene site in Southern France, where Acheulean artefacts and hominin fossils were excavated. Rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus hemitoechus) remains from Level F (MIS 12) were studied from a zooarchaeological and taphonomic perspective to investigate the potential human exploitation of this large taxon. The well-represented butchering marks, as well as scarce carnivore marks, indicate primary access to rhinoceros carcasses by hominins. The juvenile-dominated mortality profile further suggests aggressive scavenging or occasional opportunistic hunting. Furthermore, differential skeletal representation shows that humans selectively transported the nutrient-rich body sections. In addition, thorough processing of the carcasses for consumption inside the cave is highlighted by the frequent cut marks, intensive fragmentation, and regular spatial distribution. The analyses of the Arago Level F rhinoceros confirm the rhinoceros exploitation by humans during the Lower Palaeolithic; however, the rhinoceros mortality profile differs from that of large mammals such as equids, argali, and all other game species of this archaeological layer.Caune de l'Arago is the earliest hominin site where the systematic exploitation of rhinoceros has been documented.

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“…Fat provides 9 calories/gramme at a minimal digestion cost, while carbohydrates and protein provide only 4 calories/gramme, and hence fat is the densest form of energy available in nature (Outram 2002). Its taste, too, has been documented to be favoured by humans (Reshef & Barkai 2015), and it is plentiful in large herbivores even when other resources are scarce. Human protein consumption is also known to have accepted ceilings, dependent on the ability of the liver and renal system to dispose of its by-products (Ben-Dor et al 2011; 2016).…”

Section: Fat Meat and The Role Of Elephants In Indigenous Hunter-gatherer Societiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Elephant in the Handaxe: Lower Palaeolithic Ontologies and Representations

Barkai¹

2021

CAJ

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Indigenous hunter-gatherers view the world differently than do WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic) societies. They depend—as in prehistoric times—on intimate relationships with elements such as animals, plants and stones for their successful adaptation and prosperity. The desire to maintain the perceived world-order and ensure the continued availability of whatever is necessary for human existence and well-being thus compelled equal efforts to please these other-than-human counterparts. Relationships of consumption and appreciation characterized human nature as early as the Lower Palaeolithic; the archaeological record reflects such ontological and cosmological conceptions to some extent. Central to my argument are elephants and handaxes, the two pre-eminent Lower Palaeolithic hallmarks of the Old World. I argue that proboscideans had a dual dietary and cosmological significance for early humans during Lower Paleolithic times. The persistent production and use of the ultimate megaherbivore processing tool, the handaxe, coupled with the conspicuous presence of handaxes made of elephant bones, serve as silent testimony for the elephant–handaxe ontological nexus. I will suggest that material culture is a product of people's relationships with the world. Early humans thus tailored their tool kits to the consumption and appreciation of specific animal taxa: in our case, the elephant in the handaxe.

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A taste of an elephant: The probable role of elephant meat in Paleolithic diet preferences

Cited by 20 publications

References 34 publications

Stable isotopes reveal patterns of diet and mobility in the last Neandertals and first modern humans in Europe

Stable isotopes reveal patterns of diet and mobility in the last Neandertals and first modern humans in Europe

Rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus hemitoechus) exploitation in Level F at the Caune de l'Arago (Tautavel, Pyrénéés‐Orientales, France) during MIS 12

The Elephant in the Handaxe: Lower Palaeolithic Ontologies and Representations

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