Middle Palaeolithic Subsistence in the West Cave of “Le Portel” (Pyrénées, France)

Neanderthal diet at Vindija and Neanderthal predation: The evidence from stable isotopes

“…paleodiet ͉ Croatia ͉ Europe ͉ ␦ 13 C ͉ ␦ 15 N R econstructions of European Neanderthal subsistence strategies have overwhelmingly focused on the specialized hunting and scavenging of herbivores as the predominant method of obtaining food (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6). These reconstructions are based principally on the analysis of the abundantly preserved faunal remains, supplemented by artifactual evidence of lithic and wood hunting apparatuses, as well as on the relative importance of the faunal biomass in the environments that European Neanderthals occupied during later oxygen isotope stage 5 and especially oxygen isotope stages 4 and 3 of the Late Pleistocene.…”

Artiodactyls, favourite game of prehistoric hunters at the Caune de l?Arago Cave (Tautavel, France). Opportunistic or selective hunting strategies?

“…These studies conclude that there is not enough evidence for selective hunting, because other factors, such as accessibility to hunters, quality/quantity ratios (Gardeisen 1999) and seasonality, can explain mortality patterns.…”

“…Other authors assert that subsistence strategies (scavenging, specialized or selective hunting) varied according to period, geographic area and human group during Palaeolithic times (Gardeisen 1999;Grayson and Delpech 1998;Patou 1989). In the Middle Palaeolithic in the Portel Ouest Cave (Arie`ge, southern France), hunting was opportunistic (Gardeisen 1999), while hunting was specialized at other sites of the same age. For example, in the Middle Palaeolithic site of Salzgitter Lebenstedt (northern Germany), faunal assemblage is dominated by adult reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) hunted in autumn by hominids (Gaudzinski and Roebroeks 2000).…”

“…Specialized hunting has several definitions, and the distinction between opportunism and selection is not entirely clear-cut (Gardeisen 1999). Specialized hunting is generally accepted as focusing on one species (which is dominant in the fossil sample), but this does not necessarily mean that animals were selected on a sex/ age basis.…”

Investigation of human hunting seasonality through dental microwear analysis of two Caprinae in late Pleistocene localities in Southern France

“…In Europe, we can refer to several localities of various ages, such as Salzgitter Lebenstedt (Northern Germany), where a zooarchaeological study has shown autumn hunting of reindeer by Middle Palaeolithic hominids [23]. These results suggest that the movements of human populations were related to seasonal and climatic game migrations [22].…”