Selection versus opportunism: A view from Neanderthal subsistence strategies

Rendu, William

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-821428-2.00013-5

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 106 publications

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“…The marked preference for deer among the faunal remains attests to a pattern of high hunting efficiency, underscoring the Neanderthals' adeptness at effectively exploiting the surrounding landscape. Comparative analyses with sites across the broader geographical region, encompassing locales from Portugal, Spain and southern France, highlight striking similarities in hunting preferences (Steele, 2004;Baena Preysler et al, 2012;Blasco and Fernández-Peris, 2012;Uzquiano et al, 2012;Yravedra and Gómez Castanedo, 2014;Nabais, 2018;Bargalló et al, 2020;Samper Carro et al, 2020;Rendu, 2022). Yet not all Middle Palaeolithic sites in the Iberian Peninsula demonstrate a preference for deer.…”

Section: Diverse Dietary Resources and Hunting E Ciencymentioning

confidence: 97%

Neanderthal resilience and adaptability: insights from the Abric Pizarro faunal assemblage during the MIS 4

Westbury,

Samper Carro,

Vega Bolivar

et al. 2024

Front. Environ. Archaeol.

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The examination of faunal assemblages through zooarchaeological analyses constitutes a fundamental approach for gaining insight into the intricate behaviours of Neanderthals. Previous investigations have primarily focused on periods of relative environmental stability, and this has provided a wealth of relevant archaeological data. However, our understanding of Neanderthal resilience during the MIS 4, a period presumably characterised by harsh environmental conditions, remains limited. This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of the faunal assemblages from Levels M and P at Abric Pizarro. The geographic location of Abric Pizarro in the southeast Pre-Pyrenees, combined with chronometric dating, offers a unique opportunity to explore Neanderthal behaviours during a poorly known chronological period. The detailed zooarchaeological analysis comprised taxonomic identification, taphonomic analysis and age-at-death profiling to explore the adaptability and flexibility in the Neanderthal diet. The findings indicate that Neanderthal groups incorporated a diverse range of protein resources from small herbivores (e.g., caprids) to very large herbivores (e.g., Bos/Bison). These results not only demonstrate an adaptability to changing environments in an area traditionally deemed unsuitable for long-term occupation, but also contributes significantly to our understanding of the complex behaviours exhibited by Neanderthals.

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Section: Diverse Dietary Resources and Hunting E Ciencymentioning

confidence: 97%

Neanderthal resilience and adaptability: insights from the Abric Pizarro faunal assemblage during the MIS 4

Westbury,

Samper Carro,

Vega Bolivar

et al. 2024

Front. Environ. Archaeol.

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“…Anthropogenic evidence allows us to know the degree of interaction between human groups and the surrounding fauna, both prey and predators (Binford 1981). The subsistence strategies and the method of obtaining animal resources open up a wide range of possibilities that these groups could have used, from scavenging to hunting strategies (Costamagno et al 2006;Niven et al 2012;Rendu 2022;Selvaggio 1994;Stiner 1994) (Costamagno et al 2006;Niven et al 2012;Rendu 2022;Selvaggio 1994;Stiner 1994). However, both practices are not exclusive.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Too good to go? Neanderthal subsistence strategies at Prado Vargas Cave (Burgos, Spain)

de la Fuente Juez,

Navazo,

Benito-Calvo

et al. 2023

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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Understanding the relationship between Neanderthal groups and their environment and they it is essential to comprehending their ways of life. In this article, we use both zooarchaeology and taphonomy to study the fauna assemblages found in Level 4 of Prado Vargas Cave (Cornejo, Burgos, Spain). The results point to a site in which the main accumulating agent was Neanderthal groups, who transported small- and medium-sized animal carcasses—with deer as the dominant taxon—according to their general utility to systematically and intensely exploit the major muscle bundles, bone marrow, skin, and tendons. According to dental microwear analysis, reiterated and prolonged occupations occurred in diverse moments, suggesting that the site was used most often as a long-term campsite. We detected a minimal amount of carnivore activity, who accessed the cave during periods of human absence and modified some of the remains left by the Neanderthals. Together, this information indicates that Prado Vargas is a key site to understand the dynamics of the Neanderthals in the linking area between the Castillan Plateau and the Cantabrian Range.

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Selection versus opportunism: A view from Neanderthal subsistence strategies

Cited by 2 publications

References 106 publications

Neanderthal resilience and adaptability: insights from the Abric Pizarro faunal assemblage during the MIS 4

Neanderthal resilience and adaptability: insights from the Abric Pizarro faunal assemblage during the MIS 4

Too good to go? Neanderthal subsistence strategies at Prado Vargas Cave (Burgos, Spain)

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