Another window to the subsistence of Middle Pleistocene hominins in Europe: A taphonomic study of Cuesta de la Bajada (Teruel, Spain)

Domı́nguez-Rodrigo, Manuel; Barba, Rebeca; Soto, Eumenio Ancochea; Sesé, Carmen; Santonja, Manuel; Pérez‐González, Alfredo; Yravedra, José; Galán, A. B.

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.08.020

Cited by 30 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 86 publications

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“…Prime-dominated profiles like those observed at Abric Romani have also been identified for different species and at numerous archaeological sites, such as equids at Cuesta de la Bajada, aurochs at Manie and Madonna, and cervids at Combe-Grenal, Lazaret E, Pech-de-l’Aze I level 7, Breuil and TD10.1 ( Fig 14 ) [ 5 , 27 , 28 , 52 – 54 , 59 , 60 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…However, numerous sites show a predilection for the hunting of prime adults, as seen at Combe-Grenal (France) [ 52 ], in level E of Lazaret (France) [ 53 ], in level 7 of Pech-de-l’Aze I (France) [ 54 ], in Salzgitter Lebenstedt (Germany) [ 55 ], in Grotta Breuil (Italy) [ 27 ] and Misliya (Israel) [ 56 ], among others. This tendency has also been documented at several Lower Paleolithic sites, such as Wallertheim (Germany) [ 56 ], Qesem Cave (Israel) [ 57 ], Gran Dolina de Atapuerca (Spain) in levels TD6.2 [ 58 ] and TD10.1 [ 59 ], Cuesta de la Bajada (Spain) [ 60 ] and FLK-Zinj (Tanzania) [ 61 , 62 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 66%

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Neanderthal hunting strategies inferred from mortality profiles within the Abric Romaní sequence

et al. 2017

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Ungulate mortality profiles are commonly used to study Neanderthal subsistence strategies. To assess the hunting strategies used by Neanderthals, we studied the ages at death of the cervids and equids found in levels E, H, I, Ja, Jb, K, L and M of the Abric Romaní sequence. These levels date between 43.2 ± 1.1 ka BP (14C AMS) and 54.5 ± 1.7 ka BP (U-series). The degree of eruption and development of the teeth and their wear stages were used to determine the ages of these animals at death, and mortality profiles were constructed using these data. The equids display prime dominated profiles in all of the analyzed levels, whereas the cervids display variable profiles. These results suggest that the Neanderthals of Abric Romaní employed both selective and non-selective hunting strategies. The selective strategy focused on the hunting of prime adults and generated prime dominated profiles. On the other hand, non-selective strategies, involved the consumption of animals of variable ages, resulting in catastrophic profiles. It is likely that in the selective hunting events were conducted using selective ambushes in which it was possible to select specific prey animals. On the other hand, encounter hunting or non-selective ambush hunting may have also been used at times, based on the abundances of prey animals and encounter rates. Specific hunting strategies would have been developed accordance with the taxa and the age of the individual to be hunted. The hunting groups most likely employed cooperative hunting techniques, especially in the capture of large animals. Thus, it is not possible to uniquely associate a single mortality profile with the predation tactics of Neanderthals at Abric Romaní.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Neanderthal hunting strategies inferred from mortality profiles within the Abric Romaní sequence

et al. 2017

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“…Hominin presence at Cuesta de la Bajada is documented by lithic artefacts (Santonja et al, 2014) and evidence of percussion and cut marks on bones (Domínguez-Rodrigo et al, 2015) found in layers CB1, CB2 and CB3. The homogeneity of the archaeological material makes it impossible to differentiate these three layers from a techno-typological perspective.…”

Section: Cuesta De La Bajada Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Electron spin resonance dating of optically bleached quartz grains from the Middle Palaeolithic site of Cuesta de la Bajada (Spain) using the multiple centres approach

Duval

Arnold

Guilarte

et al. 2017

Quaternary Geochronology

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Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating of optically bleached quartz grains was performed on three sediment samples collected from the Middle Palaeolithic site of Cuesta de la Bajada (Spain). A standard multiple grain and multiple aliquot additive dose procedure was employed, and both the Al and Ti centres were measured as part of the multiple centres approach. ESR age estimates obtained for the three samples indicate that the Al centre provides a maximum possible chronology; use of the Ti centres show that the Al signal was likely not systematically reset to its residual level during sediment transportation. A direct comparison between ESR ages based on the Ti centres and single grain optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages from samples collected nearby shows broadly consistent results. The Ti-H centre also appears to provide suitable chronologies for at least two of the three Middle Pleistocene samples studied here. Surprisingly, the only sample showing consistent ESR ages between the Al and Ti centres appears to be overestimated in comparison with the Ti-centre and OSL ages derived from the other two samples. This indicates either incomplete bleaching of both the Al and Ti centres for this sample, or unexpected impacts of other sources of D e uncertainty, such as multi-grain averaging effects. The ESR dating results overall indicate that the archaeological sequence of Cuesta de la Bajada CB-3 is most likely correlated to either MIS 7 or 9.

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“…Como resultado de todos estos años de estudios multidisciplinares en el yacimiento, se han realizado diversas publicaciones en las que se han dado a conocer datos preliminares sobre la geología, estratigrafía, industria y mamíferos del yacimiento (Santonja et al, 1990(Santonja et al, , 1992(Santonja et al, , 1994(Santonja et al, , 1996(Santonja et al, y 2000Santonja & Pérez-González 2001y 2010 y, recientemente, una síntesis sobre la industria, fauna, tafonomía y dataciones numé-ricas realizadas con diversas técnicas, que revela la importancia del yacimiento dentro del contexto del Paleolítico Medio en Europa (Santonja et al, 2014). Hay además un trabajo sobre la tafonomía del yacimiento, en relación con la subsistencia de los homínidos en Europa durante el Pleistoceno Medio, en el que se pone de manifiesto que estos fueron los principales agentes de caza y acumulación de restos de macromamíferos en Cuesta de la Bajada (Domínguez-Rodrigo et al, 2015).…”

Section: Antecedentesunclassified

Los micromamíferos (Lagomorpha, Eulipotyphla y Rodentia) del yacimiento del Pleistoceno Medio de Cuesta de la Bajada (Teruel, España): Estudio sistemático y consideraciones paleoambientales

et al. 2016

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La asociación de micromamíferos determinada en este trabajo es la siguiente: Lagomorpha: Oryctolagus cuniculus; Eulipotyphla: Crocidura cf. russula, cf. Sorex sp., Neomys sp., Soricidae indet. y Talpa sp.; y Rodentia: Eliomys quercinus, Apodemus cf. sylvaticus, Cricetulus (Allocricetus) bursae, Arvicola aff. sapidus, Microtus (Iberomys) brecciensis y Microtus (Terricola) duodecimcostatus. Es una asociación característica del Pleistoceno Medio. El estadio evolutivo de Cricetulus (A.) bursae, Arvicola aff. sapidus y Microtus (I.) brecciensis le aproximan a las poblaciones de dichas especies de algunos yacimientos de la Península Ibérica del Pleistoceno Medio avanzado, pero no final, lo que es acorde con las dataciones numéricas obtenidas en el yacimiento (243-337 ka) que le sitúan en el MIS 8 o 9. Los micromamíferos indican la predominancia de los espacios abiertos con abundante vegetación herbácea y arbustiva, en los que podría haber también alguna zona arbolada. El clima que indican es de tipo mediterráneo, similar al actual en la zona o quizás algo más benigno y más húmedo.

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Another window to the subsistence of Middle Pleistocene hominins in Europe: A taphonomic study of Cuesta de la Bajada (Teruel, Spain)

Cited by 30 publications

References 86 publications

Neanderthal hunting strategies inferred from mortality profiles within the Abric Romaní sequence

Neanderthal hunting strategies inferred from mortality profiles within the Abric Romaní sequence

Electron spin resonance dating of optically bleached quartz grains from the Middle Palaeolithic site of Cuesta de la Bajada (Spain) using the multiple centres approach

Los micromamíferos (Lagomorpha, Eulipotyphla y Rodentia) del yacimiento del Pleistoceno Medio de Cuesta de la Bajada (Teruel, España): Estudio sistemático y consideraciones paleoambientales

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