Neanderthal selective hunting of reindeer? The case study of Abri du Maras (south-eastern France)

Abstract

Monospecific exploitation of reindeer by Neanderthals is common behaviour in the Upper Pleistocene of WesternEurope. However, reindeer-dominated assemblages have largely been reported from regions of northern Germany and south-western France, with few examples noted in south-eastern France, where faunal assemblages are most of the time dominated by a variety of other large ungulates such as red deer, horse and diverse bovids. Here, we present multi- ManuscriptClick here to download Manuscript Daujeard_et_al_Maras_4.1_Text_AAS.docx strand (bio-and eco-) archaeological datasets from the site of Abri du Maras (level 4.1), situated at the mouth of the Ardèche and Rhône rivers, a new example of a reindeer-dominated Neanderthal site in south-eastern France. Dated to the beginning of the MIS 3, the zooarchaeological assemblage is dominated by reindeer (88% of the NISP, representing 16 individuals), but also includes horse, bison, megaceros, red deer, ibex and lagomorphs. The combination of zooarchaeological, cementochronological and tooth microwear analyses evidence a single-species dominated spectrum, with catastrophic mortality and repeated autumnal deaths. This integrated approach provides an extensive picture of human subsistence behaviour, pointing to short-term hunting episodes of reindeer herds in an exceptional context of a quasi-exclusive Neanderthal accumulation. The high number of individuals and selective butchery may correspond with a cooperative and planned mass hunting strategy. The multidisciplinary approach undertaken here also incorporating paleontological, charcoal, ecological, and isotopic analyses places the archaeological and zooarchaeological data within a broader regional palaeoenvironmental framework, providing valuable landscape-contextual information. The zooarchaeological data suggest a subsistence behaviour different from other Neanderthal reindeer-dominated assemblages often connected with specialised butchery or hunting sites.

Biostratigraphy and Palaeoecology of European Equus

“…Following the distribution of the currently recognized species, the robustness of the diaphysis of the metapodials correlates well with moisture levels (Eisenmann, 1984). For example, the metacarpal from the Mousterian layers of Tournal B-D and Abri du Maras (level 4.1) (E. f. germanicus, South of France, MIS 3) have a relatively robust diaphysis, which reflects the high humidity recorded in these levels (Echchat, 2008;Magniez and Boulbes, 2014;Daujeard et al, 2019) (Figure 8A). On the other hand, the metacarpal of the horse from Coulet des Roches (South France, MIS 2) is slender in relation to the hard substrate frequented as demonstrated by other proxies (Crégut-Bonnoure et al, 2018) (Figure 8B).…”

Direct evidence of Neanderthal fibre technology and its cognitive and behavioral implications

“…From a paleoclimatic perspective, layer 4 was deposited during progressively colder and drier conditions with a majority of the fauna being reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) 12 . More than 4,000 artefacts longer than 15 mm have been found in Unit 4 (40 to 50 artefacts/m 3 ).…”

New Insights into the LGM and LG in Southern France (Vaucluse): The Mustelids, Micromammals and Horses from Coulet des Roches

“…In this sense, the results of the microwear/mesowear signatures of teeth (and in progress by F. Rivals) and further isotopic analysis should be very interesting to "challenge" morphological observations and investigate dietary adaptations, the habitat and environment [96][97][98].…”