Search

Abstract Venta Micena is an area containing several palaeontological sites marking the beginning of the Calabrian stage (Early Pleistocene). The richness of the fossil accumulation including species of Asian, African and European origin, makes Venta Micena a key site for the the palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental study of southern Europe during the Early Pleistocene. Thus, research has been focused on Venta Micena 3, which was originally interpreted as a single palaeosurface associated with a marshy context, in which most of the fauna was accumulated by Pachycrocuta brevirostris. Recent excavations have unearthed a new site, Venta Micena 4, located in the same stratigraphic unit (Unit C) and in close proximity to Venta Micena 3. Here we show the first analyses regarding the taphonomic and spatial nature of this new site, defining two stratigraphic boundaries corresponding to two different depositional events. Furthermore, the taphonomic analyses of fossil remains seem to indicate a different accumulative agent than Pachycrocuta, thus adding more complexity to the palaeobiological interpretation of the Venta Micena area. These results contribute to the discussion of traditional interpretations made from Venta Micena 3.

Los paños de fractura de los huesos siempre se han prestado a diversos análisis de clasificación, pero con menor éxito se ha podido averiguar el (los) agente(s) responsable( s) de su ruptura. De los diversos atributos utilizados, uno de ellos (los ángulos de los planos de fractura) se ha sometido a exhaustivo análisis, con los resultados que se ofrecen en el presente trabajo. Se concluye que dichos ángulos, en su consideración global en una muestra pueden ser resolutivos ya que los diversos agentes bióticos que rompen huesos (humanos y carnívoros) lo hacen por procesos físicos distintos (percusión y presión) que provocan diagnosis diferenciadas en el modo en que los huesos aparecen fracturados.

Traditional views of Neanderthal hunting strategies envisage them preying on herd species such as bison and deer, rather than the sophisticated tracking of solitary animals. Analysis of faunal remains from El Esquilleu Cave in northern Spain, however, demonstrates that during certain periods of the Middle Palaeolithic occupation, Neanderthals focused on the hunting of ibex and chamois, small solitary species that inhabited the mountainous terrain around the site. These results indicate that Neanderthal hunting practices may have had more similarity to those of their Upper Palaeolithic relatives than is usually assumed. Keywords: Spain, El Esquilleu Cave, Middle Palaeolithic, Mousterian, Neanderthal, Iberian ibex, chamois, hunting, faunal analysis, Supplementary material is provided online at http://antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/yravedra342 Introduction One of the most controversial issues to arise in the understanding of human evolution in recent decades is the debate on Neanderthal [...]

La relación entre los neandertales y el oso cavernario –Ursus spelaeus– durante el Pleistoceno Superior ha sido objeto de controversia debido a que la historiografía tradicional sugería ideas relativas a un posible culto hacia esta especie, junto con otras teorías que respaldan la caza masiva de estos animales. Sin embargo, las pruebas que vinculan una interacción entre el Homo neanderthalensis y el Ursus spelaeus en Europa son limitadas y fragmentarias, y proceden mayormente de Italia, Alemania o Francia, en los alrededores de los Alpes. Hasta la fecha, no se habían encontrado restos de Ursus spelaeus con evidencias de actividad humana en el Paleolítico Medio en la Península Ibérica. No obstante, este artículo presenta y analiza las consecuencias del descubrimiento de una ulna de Ursus spelaeus con marcas de corte, hallada en los niveles musterienses de la cueva del Esquilléu en Cantabria. Este hallazgo, identificado tras un minucioso estudio de la muestra osteológica disponible, representa un nuevo aporte a este debate, ya que amplía el ámbito geográfico y sugiere que las revisiones tafonómicas podrían ser una fuente de nuevas evidencias.

Las Zanjillas (Torrejón de Velasco, Madrid) es un yacimiento Calcolítico precampaniforme ubicado en el valle medio del Tajo, caracterizado por más de 500 estructuras que incluyen silos y cubetas. Este estudio se centra en el análisis zooarqueológico y tafonómico de muestras óseas encontradas en este sitio. A diferencia de otras acumulaciones faunísticas en sitios precampaniformes de la región, aquí no se observan depósitos de individuos completos de animales; en cambio, se identifican acumulaciones de fauna de contextos domésticos, mayormente compuestas por restos de vacas y caprinos. Los análisis tafonómicos revelan la presencia de marcas de cortes en todos los taxones, indicando un aprovechamiento cárnico de los animales. No obstante, los patrones de mortalidad identificados en las distintas especies domésticas señalan un predominio de individuos adultos, lo que podría sugerir usos alternativos de las cabañas ganaderas más allá de su función exclusivamente cárnica. Este aspecto, sumado a las cronologías proporcionadas por el sitio, plantea un interesante punto de discusión que abordaremos en este trabajo. ABSTRACT: Las Zanjillas in Torrejón de Velasco (Madrid, Spain), is a pre-Bell beaker Chalcolithic site situated in the middle Tajo Valley, characterized by over 500 structures consisting of silos and basins. This study presents the zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis of bone samples found at this location. In contrast to other faunal accumulations in other sites in the vicinity, complete individual deposits are not present here. Instead, accumulations of domestic contexts, primarily composed of cow and sheep remains, are identified. Taphonomic analyzes indicate cut marks on all taxa, suggesting a carnivorous utilization of the animals. However, mortality patterns identified across different domestic species highlight a prevalence of adult individuals, implying alternative uses for livestock cabins beyond their exclusive carnivorous function. This aspect, along with the chronologies provided by this site, raises an intriguing point of discussion that we will address in this study.

The Bronze Age zooarchaeological research for the interior and other regions of the Iberian Peninsula is currently limited. Despite several sites with known zooarchaeological profiles from the period, the main issue is that most of these derive from fragmentary and unrepresentative faunal records or are biased profiles from old excavations. New work has yielded novel zooarchaeological results in recent years that could help fill the existing zooarchaeological information gap in the Iberian inland, particularly in the Middle Tagus Valley. However, these projects are in the initial research stages and have not published much of their results. This paper presents the zooarchaeological profile of the Pista de Motos Bronze Age site to help fill this information gap. It analyses the taxonomic representation, skeletal profiles, and human activity patterns associated with faunal use. These observations suggest that animal exploitation at the site followed two primary purposes. One was linked to economic activities, mainly to obtain meat, milk, wool, or animal labour. The other was probably associated with symbolic-ritual practices suggested by the complete animal burials in some excavated units. We contextualise these interpretations with evidence from other Bronze Age sites in the Middle Tagus Valley. Finally, the paper assesses to what extent Pista de Motos is a relevant site for the zooarchaeology of the Bronze Age in the Iberian inland.

The settlement of cold and arid environments by Pleistocene hunter-gatherers has been a heated topic in Paleolithic Archaeology and the Quaternary Sciences for years. In the Iberian Peninsula, a key area for studying human adaptations to such environments is composed by the large interior and upland regions of the northern and southern plateaus (Mesetas) and bordering areas. As, traditionally, these regions have been relatively under-investigated compared to the ecologically more favored coastal areas of the peninsula, our knowledge of the human settlement of the whole Iberian hinterland remains scarce for the Last Glacial. In this paper we present the discovery and first geoarcheological, paleoenvironmental and chronometric evidence obtained at Charco Verde II, a new site close to the southwestern foothills of the Iberian system range (Guadalajara province, Spain), bearing a sequence of Magdalenian human occupations starting at least at 20.8-21.4 ka cal BP during the Last Glacial Maximum, and covering Greenland Stadial 2 until ∼15.1-16.6 ka cal BP, including Heinrich stadial 1. As this site is located in an upland region which today faces one of the harshest climates in Iberia, such occupation sequence, occurred during some of the coldest and most arid phases of the Last Glacial, has relevant implications for our understanding of human-environment-climate interactions and population dynamics in Iberia and Western Europe. These findings support the hypothesis that the Iberian hinterland was not avoided by Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers due to ecological constraints, but it hosted a complex and relatively dense settlement at least in some areas, even during cold periods. This suggest, one more time, that the historical scarcity of Upper Paleolithic sites in inland Iberia is, to a significant extent, an artifact of research bias.

Abstract Competition for resources is a key question in the study of our early human evolution. From the first hominin groups, carnivores have played a fundamental role in the ecosystem. From this perspective, understanding the trophic pressure between hominins and carnivores can provide valuable insights into the context in which humans survived, interacted with their surroundings, and consequently evolved. While numerous techniques already exist for the detection of carnivore activity in archaeological and palaeontological sites, many of these techniques present important limitations. The present study builds on a number of advanced data science techniques to confront these issues, defining methods for the identification of the precise agents involved in carcass consumption and manipulation. For the purpose of this study, a large sample of 620 carnivore tooth pits is presented, including samples from bears, hyenas, jaguars, leopards, lions, wolves, foxes and African wild dogs. Using 3D modelling, geometric morphometrics, robust data modelling, and artificial intelligence algorithms, the present study obtains between 88 and 98% accuracy, with balanced overall evaluation metrics across all datasets. From this perspective, and when combined with other sources of taphonomic evidence, these results show that advanced data science techniques can be considered a valuable addition to the taphonomist’s toolkit for the identification of precise carnivore agents via tooth pit morphology.

Taphonomic studies aim to identify the modifying agents that intervene in bone assemblages found at archaeopaleontological sites. Carnivores may modify, accumulate, or scavenge skeletal parts inflicting tooth marks, including scores, on the cortical surface. Several works have studied tooth score morphology to discern which carnivore group modified the bone assemblages, achieving different results. In the present study, different methods based on the use of landmarks and semilandmarks have been tested to describe and analyze the score profile cross-sections of spotted and brown hyenas, leopards, and lions. According to our results, the already published seven-landmark method is useful in order to differentiate between carnivore species from different families (e.g., felids and hyenids). Meanwhile, felid species (e.g., leopards and lions) cannot be consistently distinguished using any of the methods tested here. In contrast, hyenid species can be morphologically differentiated. On the other hand, the use of semilandmarks does not generally improve morphological characterization and distinction, but low numbers of landmarks and the inclusion of the score’s deepest point might provide the best results when semi-automatic semilandmark models are preferred to avoid sampling biases.

Recently the incorporation of artificial intelligence has allowed the development of valuable methodological advances in taphonomy. Some studies have achieved great precision in identifying the carnivore that produced tooth marks. Additionally, other works focused on human activity have managed to specify what type of tool or raw material was used in the filleting processes identified at the sites. Through the use of geometric morphometrics and machine learning techniques, the present study intends to analyze the cut marks of the Ulaca oppidum (Solosancho, Ávila, Spain) in order to identify the type of tools used during carcass modification. Although the Ulaca oppidum is an Iron Age site, the results suggest that most of the cut marks were produced with flint tools.

The study of bone surface modifications (BSM) is crucial in understanding site formation processes and the identification of the causal agent behind bone assemblages in the fossil record. In that line, many efforts have been made to generate referential models based on feeding experiments and human butchery simulations that can then be used to interpret the patterns observed in archaeological and paleontological sites. Considering these needs, we developed a novel open-access three-dimensional (3D) software called Ikhnos for the study of BSM distribution patterns on limb long bones. This software is comprised of all the necessary tools for the 3D documentation of BSM and bone breakage patterns, as well as the subsequent statistical analysis of this data due to the integration of an exclusive R library, the IkhnosToolBox. Additionally, Ikhnos integrates tools for bone survivorship calculations that could facilitate the estimation of the minimum number of elements (MNE) and minimum number of individuals (MNI). As a demonstration of its precision, here we present a case study analyzing the modifications produced by wild and captive wolf (Canis lupus signatus) populations of the Iberian Peninsula on deer carcasses.

Modern day investigation in fields of archaeology and palaeontology can be greatly characterised by an exponential growth of integrated new technologies, nevertheless, while these advances are of great significance to multiple lines of research, their evaluation and update over time is equally as important. Here we present an application of inter and intra-observer analysis in taphonomy based geometric morphometrics, employing robust non-parametric statistical analyses for the study of experimental carnivore tooth pit morphologies. To fully understand the influence of measurement errors in the collection of this data, our statistical assessment was performed on fully superimposed, partially superimposed and raw landmark coordinates collected from 3D surface scanning. Experimental samples used to assess these errors includes wolf and dog tooth pits used in modern day ecological livestock predation analysis. Results obtained from this study highlight the importance of landmark type in the assessment of error, emphasising the value of semi-landmark models over the use of ambiguous Type III landmarks. In addition to this, data also reveals the importance of observer experience for the collection of data alongside an interesting increase in error when working with fully superimposed landmarks due to the "Pinocchio Effect". Through this study we are able to redefine the geometric morphometric models used for tooth pit morphological analyses. This final hybrid Type II fixed landmark and semi-landmark model presents a significant reduction in human induced error, generating a more metrically reliable and replicable method that can be used for data pooling in future inter-institutional research. These results can be considered a fundamental step forward for carnivore inspired studies, having an impact on archaeological, palaeontological, modern-day ecological research as well as applications in other forensic sciences.

Human populations have been known to develop complex relationships with large carnivore species throughout time, with evidence of both competition and collaboration to obtain resources throughout the Pleistocene. From this perspective, many archaeological and palaeontological sites present evidence of carnivore modifications to bone. In response to this, specialists in the study of microscopic bone surface modifications have resorted to the use of 3D modeling and data science techniques for the inspection of these elements, reaching novel limits for the discerning of carnivore agencies. The present research analyzes the tooth mark variability produced by multiple Iberian wolf individuals, with the aim of studying how captivity may affect the nature of tooth marks left on bone. In addition to this, four different populations of both wild and captive Iberian wolves are also compared for a more in-depth comparison of intra-species variability. This research statistically shows that large canid tooth pits are the least affected by captivity, while tooth scores appear more superficial when produced by captive wolves. The superficial nature of captive wolf tooth scores is additionally seen to correlate with other metric features, thus influencing overall mark morphologies. In light of this, the present study opens a new dialogue on the reasons behind this, advising caution when using tooth scores for carnivore identification and contemplating how elements such as stress may be affecting the wolves under study.

Recent studies using geometric morphometrics for taphonomy have yielded interesting results, opening new horizons of research in both archaeological and paleontological sites. Here we present the analysis of tooth pits left by male and female individuals of two different carnivore species (Panthera tigris and Panthera pardus) in order to see if sexual dimorphism influences the morphology of tooth pit marks. In the process, 3D-scanning and applied statistics were used. Based on samples derived from two individuals of different sexes, the present results indicate sexual dimorphism in these felid species to not be a conditioning factor of tooth pit morphology.

En el trabajo presentamos el nivel gravetiense de Coímbre, uno de los contados ejemplos de esta cronología en el centro-occidente cantábrico. Se trata de uno de los yacimientos de mayor interés para el análisis del Gravetiense cerca de su margen occidental de expansión por el continente europeo. Mediante el análisis arqueozoológico y tafonómico de la fauna, de la industria lítica, los restos arqueobotánicos, la interpretación de la secuencia arqueológica y sedimentológica, y la obtención de dataciones AMS, se han podido analizar las ocupaciones gravetienses de Coímbre bajo una perspectiva territorial, donde las estrategias de susbsistencia desarrolladas son determinantes para interpretar el tipo de ocupación existente. En el marco de la región cantábrica, podemos interpretar la existencia de un patrón de movilidad y subsistencia determinado, desarrollado por estas poblaciones humanas, que se manifiesta como una ocupación efímera, de tipo logístico y puntual, ligada posiblemente con un eje de tránsito en sentido este-oeste. Esto supone uno de los elementos de mayor interés que aporta este estudio.

This research focuses on the study of the ruins of a large building known as “El Torreón” (the Tower), belonging to the Ulaca oppidum (Solosancho, Province of Ávila, Spain). Different remote sensing and geophysical approaches have been used to fulfil this objective, providing a better understanding of the building’s functionality in this town, which belongs to the Late Iron Age (ca. 300–50 BCE). In this sense, the outer limits of the ruins have been identified using photogrammetry and convergent drone flights. An additional drone flight was conducted in the surrounding area to find additional data that could be used for more global interpretations. Magnetometry was used to analyze the underground bedrock structure and ground penetrating radar (GPR) was employed to evaluate the internal layout of the ruins. The combination of these digital methodologies (surface and underground) has provided a new perspective for the improved interpretation of “El Torreón” and its characteristics. Research of this type presents additional guidelines for better understanding of the role of this structure with regards to other buildings in the Ulaca oppidum. The results of these studies will additionally allow archaeologists to better plan future interventions while presenting new data that can be used for the interpretation of this archaeological complex on a larger scale.

The analysis of bone surface modifications (BSMs) is a prominent part of paleoanthropological studies, namely taphonomic research. Behavioral interpretations of the fossil record hinge strongly upon correct assessment of BSMs. With the significant impact of microscopic analysis to the study of BSMs, multiple authors have discussed the reliability of these technological improvements for gaining resolution in BSM discrimination. While a certain optimism is present, some important questions are ignored and others overemphasized without appropriate empirical support. This specifically affects the study of cut marks. A diversity of geometric morphometric approaches applied to the study of cut marks have resulted in the coexistence (and competition) of different 2D and 3D methods. The present work builds upon the foundation of experiments presented by Maté-González et al. (2015), Courtenay et al. (2017) and Otárola-Castillo et al. (2018) to contrast for the first time 2D and 3D methods in their resolution of cut mark interpretation and classification. The results presented here show that both approaches are equally valid and that the use of sophisticated 3D methods do not contribute to an improvement in accuracy.

During the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century the discussion on early human behavioral patterns revolved around the hunting versus scavenging debate. The correct identification of bone modifications, including percussion, cut and tooth marks, is a key issue within this debate. While many authors have shown that carnivore and human modifications can be easily distinguished, it is true that sometimes percussion marks without associated microstriations and tooth pits overlap morphologically, causing confusion, especially when unmodified hammerstones are used. In order to solve this equifinality problem, many investigations have focused their efforts on other pieces of evidence such as the identification of notches, fragmentation patterns and frequencies, among others. These studies, however, cannot be considered as fully conclusive. Within this paper we address the problem of equifinality when identifying percussion marks produced with unmodified hammerstones and tooth pits created by carnivores using new methodologies based on the 3D reconstruction of marks and their statistical multivariate analysis. For the purpose of this study a total of 128 marks- 39 percussion marks produced with an unmodified quartzite hammerstone, and 89 pits generated by different carnivores-were virtually modelled with the aid of a DAVID structured-light scanner SLS-2 and later analyzed by means of geometric morphometrics. Our results show that percussion marks not associated with striae fields and the pits generated by the carnivores studied here can be successfully distinguished.

Presentamos los resultados de los sondeos del yacimiento de Las Vegas, Huecas (Toledo). Se trata de un área abierta, junto al arroyo y al pie de la necrópolis de Valle de las Higueras. Un fuerte depósito de coluvión sepulta el yacimiento. Sin evidencias en superficie, su detección se realizó mediante prospección geofísica. Carece de estructuras y está formado por un único estrato, un depósito secundario que contiene campaniforme Ciempozuelos y metal, con una fecha C14 de la 2ª mitad del III milenio a.C. La cerámica es el material más abundante. Su estudio macroscópico y mediante fluorescencia de rayos X (FRX) avala su producción local, la rápida formación del depósito y su larga exposición en superficie. Planteamos que el depósito procede de la limpieza y mantenimiento de un área de ocupación anexa. El patrón de poblamiento parece seguir las tierras bajas del valle con ocupaciones cuyas producciones cerámicas difieren de las de los contextos funerarios.

Although the Iberian Peninsula is a key area for understanding the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition and the demise of the Neandertals, valuable evidence for these debates remains scarce and problematic in its interior regions. Sparse data supporting a late Neandertal persistence in the Iberian interior have been recently refuted and hence new evidence is needed to build new models on the timing and causes of Neandertal disappearance in inland Iberia and the whole peninsula. In this study we provide new evidence from Los Casares, a cave located in the highlands of the Spanish Meseta, where a Neandertal-associated Middle Paleolithic site was discovered and first excavated in the 1960's. Our main objective is twofold: (1) provide an updated geoarcheological, paleoenvironmental and chronological framework for this site, and (2) discuss obtained results in the context of the time and nature of the last Neandertal presence in Iberia.We conducted new fieldwork in an interior chamber of Los Casares cave named 'Seno A'. Our methods included micromorphology, sedimentology, radiocarbon dating, Uranium/Thorium dating, palinology, microfaunal analysis, anthracology, phytolith analysis, archeozoology and lithic technology. Here we present results on site formation processes, paleoenvironment and the chronological setting of the Neandertal occupation at Los Casares cave-Seno A.The sediment sequence reveals a mostly in situ archeological deposit containing evidence of both Neandertal activity and carnivore action in level c, dated to 44,899-42,175 calendar years ago. This occupation occurred during a warm and humid interval of Marine Isotopic Stage 3, probably correlating with Greenland Interstadial 11, representing one of the latest occurrences of Neandertals in the Iberian interior. However, overlying layer b records a deterioration of local environments, thus providing a plausible explanation for the abandonment of the site, and perhaps for the total disappearance of Neandertals of the highlands of inland Iberia during subsequent Greenland Stadials 11 or 10, or even Heinrich Stadial 4. Since layer b provided very few signs of human activity and no reliable chronometric results, and given the scarce chronostratigrapic evidence recorded so far for this period in interior Iberia, this can only be taken as a working hypothesis to be tested with future research. Meanwhile, 42,000 calendar years ago remains the most plausible date for the abandonment of interior Iberia by Neandertals, possibly due to climate deterioration. Currently, a later survival of this human species in Iberia is limited to the southern coasts.

The concept of equifinality is currently one of the largest issues in taphonomy, frequently leading analysts to erroneously interpret the formation and functionality of archaeological and paleontological sites. An example of this equifinality can be found in the differentiation between anthropic cut marks and other traces on bone produced by natural agents, such as that of sedimentary abrasion and trampling. These issues are a key component in the understanding of early human evolution, yet frequently rely on qualitative features for their identification. Unfortunately, qualitative data is commonly susceptible to subjectivity, producing insecurity in research through analyst experience. The present study intends to confront these issues through a hybrid methodological approach. Here, we combine Geometric Morphometric data, 3D digital microscopy, and Deep Learning Neural Networks to provide a means of empirically classifying taphonomic traces on bone. Results obtained are able to reach over 95% classification, providing a possible means of overcoming taphonomic equifinality in the archaeological and paleontological register.

Se presentan los resultados del estudio del material arqueológico correspondiente al nivel 3 del abrigo de Peña Capón, cuyo depósito, conocido desde 1970, únicamente había sido objeto de una revisión preliminar a finales de la década de 1990. El análisis de la colección ha incluido el estudio tecnológico y tipológico de la industria lítica y ósea, el análisis zooarqueológico y tafonómico de la fauna, la documentación de grabados sobre soportes óseos, así como la datación radiocarbónica de varias muestras óseas. Los datos obtenidos nos han permitido relacionar el nivel estudiado con las industrias protosolutrenses con puntas de Vale Comprido definidas en la Extremadura portuguesa, lo cual constituye una novedad en la Meseta, donde apenas se conocen datos del Paleolítico Superior anteriores al Solutrense medio. Los resultados son consistentes con la definición del Protosolutrense como una industria transicional entre el Gravetiense y el Solutrense. Asimismo, la verificación de una ocupación humana en el pie de monte del Sistema Central en las fases más frías del último ciclo glaciar (MIS 2) supone un argumento favorable al definitivo abandono de la hipótesis clásica sobre el despoblamiento del interior de la Península Ibérica durante los momentos más fríos del Paleolítico Superior.

This work shows a first description of the subsistence strategies carried out by the Neanderthal communities that inhabited the Horadada Gorge (Mave, Palence). Through the analysis of the faunal collections retrieved from the Mousterian archaeological horizon unearthed at Corazón Cave, dated at 96 Ka, a first characterization of the models used by the Neanderthals to obtain meat resources in this site is presented. Corazón Cave represents a strategic corridor connecting the Spanish Northern Plateau with the Cantabrian Range and the set of subsistence strategies described here can shed light on the importance of this locale in its regional framework. The methodological framework used to undertake this study includes zooarchaeological and taphonomic bone analyses, and mortality patterns. Our results suggest an anthropogenic accumulation of horses, deer, goats and other herbivores. Cut mark and fracture patterns on the bone assemblage support this. Cut marks have been identified in almost all anatomical sections, indicating a variety of activities related to skinning, disarticulation and fleshing. Apart from meat consumption, percussion marks and breakage patterns suggest access to marrow. Carnivores were present in the site as secondary scavenger agents, accessing to those remains left behind when Neanderthals abandoned the cave.

Analytic models have been developed to reconstruct early hominin behaviour, especially their subsistence patterns, revealed mainly through taphonomic analyses of archaeofaunal assemblages. Taphonomic research is used to discern which agents (carnivores, humans or both) generate the bone assemblages recovered at archaeological sites. Taphonomic frameworks developed during the last decades show that the only large-sized carnivores in African biomes able to create bone assemblages are leopards and hyenas. A carnivore-made bone assemblage located in the short-grassland ecological unit of the Serengeti (within Olduvai Gorge) was studied. Taphonomic analyses of this assemblage including skeletal part representation, bone density, breakage patterns and anatomical distribution of tooth marks, along with an ecological approach to the prey selection made by large carnivores of the Serengeti, were carried out. The results show that this bone assemblage may be the first lion-accumulated assemblage documented, although other carnivores (namely spotted hyenas) may have also intervened through postdepositional ravaging. This first faunal assemblage potentially created by lions constitutes a new framework for neotaphonomic studies. Since lions may accumulate carcasses under exceptional circumstances, such as those documented at the site reported here, this finding may have important consequences for interpretations of early archaeological and paleontological sites, which provide key information about human evolution.

Cueva Morín es un emblemático yacimiento utilizado como referente en multitud de trabajos referidos a la subsistencia del Paleolítico Medio y Superior del norte de la Península Ibérica. En este texto se ofrecen los primeros resultados proporcionados por el estudio tafonómico de una parte importante de su fauna. Se muestra cómo el componente hídrico es un elemento a tener en cuenta en la comprensión de la formación del yacimiento. También los carnívoros parecen haber intervenido sobre las acumulaciones óseas, tal y como indican las marcas de dientes. En varios niveles se deduce, por la presencia de marcas de corte y estigmas de percusión en piezas de diversos taxones, que el ser humano fue el agente principal del aporte de ungulados al yacimiento. No obstante, las alteraciones y el sesgo producido por los procesos mencionados (carnívoros y agua) limitan las interpretaciones que podemos hacer del registro faunístico de algunos niveles.

El presente trabajo recoge los principales resultados derivados de la intervención arqueológica acometida entre los años 2002 y 2003 en el Valle de Tsutskhvati (República de Georgia), principalmente centrados en una nueva ronda de excavaciones en la Cueva Doble. Los estudios estratigráficos, tecnológicos, tafonómicos y polínicos permiten arrojar nuevos datos, complementarios a los obtenidos en la cercana cueva de Ortvale Klde, sobre las comunidades neandertales que habitaron la región del Cáucaso meridional, uno de los entornos geográficos en los que sobrevivieron los últimos representantes de esta especie. Mientras que los completos trabajos arqueológicos abordados en la cueva de Ortvale Klde han permitido contar con un amplio programa de datación para la presencia neandertal en dicha cavidad, el resto de los yacimientos del mismo periodo siguen presentando una cierta indefinición contextual. A pesar de ello, se acepta que la presencia neandertal en el valle de Tsutskhvati debió situarse en el mismo marco temporal que en Ortvale Klde. Aunque tanto la Cueva Doble, motivo de esta publicación, como la famosa Cueva del Bronce carecen hoy en día de contextos cronológicos fiables, es necesario señalar que estos yacimientos del valle de Tsutskhvati vienen siendo recurrentemente citados en el debate sobre el fin de los neandertales y la llegada de las primeras comunidades sapiens a la región caucásica. Es por ello por lo que la información novedosa aquí presentada (los últimos trabajos en Tsutskhvati se llevaron a cabo en la década de 1970) posee un indudable interés, a pesar de las limitaciones cronológicas, para ampliar nuestro conocimiento sobre este importante capítulo de la Prehistoria europea.

Uno de los yacimientos solutrenses más emblemáticos del sureste de la Península Ibérica es la Cueva de Ambrosio, sin embargo hasta hace poco el estudio de sus faunas sólo se había hecho de manera muy parcial. La zooarqueología y la tafonomía que presentamos en este trabajo, nos muestra que ciervos, caballos, cabras y conejos fueron explotados predominantemente por el ser humano, pero además, otros análisis han permitido distinguir qué estrategias espacio temporales siguieron los cazadores de Cueva Ambrosio.

En los últimos años se ha puesto de manifiesto que los neandertales explotaron un rango de especies muy amplio. Diversos animales independientemente de su tamaño o su nicho ecológico fueron explotados, así proboscidios, ungulados de diversas tallas, carnívoros, pequeños mamíferos como los lagomorfos, reptiles, aves y peces presentan evidencias de haber sido aprovechados por estos seres humanos. Esta gran variabilidad de recursos es un ejemplo de la versatilidad neandertal. En este trabajo hemos tratado de reflejar esta adaptabilidad a través de una revisión de las evidencias zooarqueológicas y tafonómicas descritas en los yacimientos musterienses del interior de la Península Ibérica, tomando como referencia aquellos lugares situados en la meseta norte y la meseta sur correspondientes a los estadios isotópicos 5-3.Neanderthals have recently been found to have exploited a rather wide range of species. Regardless of size or habitat, many animals were consumed, from proboscidians, ungulates of different size and carnivores, to small mammals such as lagomorphs or even reptiles, birds and fish. All these species present evidence of having been intervened by this hominines. This large variety of resources is an example of Neanderthal versatility. This paper discusses this adaptive behavior in a revision of the zooarcheological and taphonomic evidence found in Mousterian sites in inland Iberia, particularly the ones located in the northern and southern plateau for the 5-3 isotopic stages.

Es frecuente que las asociaciones líticas y óseas de los yacimientos paleolíticos sean asociadas con episodios de actividad antrópica, en los que es el ser humano fuera el principal responsable de dichas acumulaciones óseas. Sin embargo, en numerosas ocasiones tales concentraciones obedecen a procesos diferentes ocasionados por agentes diversos. En este caso, se dan argumentos que muestran como los restos osteológicos de Capra pyrenaica y Rupicapra rupicapra de los yacimientos paleolíticos del nivel VII de la cueva Amalda (Zestoa, Guipúzcoa) y los III y IV de la cueva del Esquilleu (Castro Cillorigo, Cantabria), responden a un aporte biológico no humano. Tras ver esto, se comparan las evidencias presentadas en cada yacimiento con la información publicada sobre el comportamiento de los diferentes carnívoros, con el fin de diferenciar qué carnívoro es el responsable de las concentraciones óseas de cada yacimiento, para tratar de proponer al final del trabajo algunos rasgos diferenciales del comportamiento de los carnívoros sobre sus acumulaciones óseas.

Se propone un análisis paleoceológico de alrededor de 755 agrupamientos fósiles (herbívoros y carnívoros) procedentes de 230 yacimientos de finales del Pleistoceno (e.45-10 Ky BP) en el suroeste de Europa. Se realiza mediante un enfoque combinatorio y estadístico, y en un marco cronoclimático basado en las fases principales de enfriamiento de la última glaciación (acontecimiento de Heinrich). El estudio preliminar de las asociaciones conduce a precisar los asentamientos específicos y a mostrar la paleodiversidad de las asociaciones de mamíferos.

Durante el trascurso del Pleistoceno Superior en la Península Ibérica es frecuente que los yacimientos paleolíticos presenten restos de lince. El problema es que casi siempre se refieren a muestras óseas fragmentarias que no permiten ir más allá de la mera identificación taxonómica. En esta ocasión presentamos los restos de Lynx pardina localizados en el yacimiento Magdaleniense de la Peña de Estebanvela (Segovia) y, tambien ciertas alteraciones tafonómicas de origen antrópico que parecen indicar un aprovechamiento cárnico de este animal en los momentos finales del Pleistoceno superior.

En los últimos años ha tenido lugar un intenso debate dirigido a diferenciar posibles rasgos conductuales entre neandertales y primeros humanos modernos. En la mayoría de los trabajos realizados, diversos autores han alcanzado interpretaciones contrapuestas en gran variedad de ámbitos. En el presente estudio se hace una reflexión crítica sobre el estado de la cuestión de esta polémica, con la finalidad de observar posibles diferencias subsistenciales entre ambos tipos de homínidos. Para ello se ha analizado la información disponible sobre los yacimientos del Paleolítico Medio y Superior Inicial con estudios zooarqueológicos de la Península Ibérica, prestando especial atención a los análisis tafonómicos, al ser los más resolutivos en la interpretación del registro óseo. Estos datos permiten concluir que durante esta transición apenas se produjeron cambios subsistenciales importantes.

En este trabajo se analizan las estrategias económicas que utilizaron los grupos cazadores del Solutrense y el Magdaleniense mediterráneos, para ello se han revisado bibliográficamente los datos zooarqueológicos de una extensa área geográfica comprendida desde la actual Cataluña hasta Andalucía Oriental. En la observación de las diferentes características cinegéticas que se produjeron en ambos periodos y en las distintas zonas, se ha podido observar ciertas variaciones tanto a escala geográfica como temporal que implican variedad de formas dependiendo de las circunstancias de cada lugar. Al final se concluye que en el transcurso de este momento se produce una especialización progresiva que comienza en el Solutrense y culmina en el Magdaleniense, pero en el desarrollo de esta especialización se observan ciertas variaciones que cambian de unos sitios a otros tanto taxonómicamente como en la forma de producirse

En el presente trabajo se observan los patrones de subsistencia existentes del Solutrense y el Magdaleniense de la cornisa cantábrica, para ello se ha escogido esta región por la abundancia de datos arqueozoologicos. Con este estudio se pretende revisar los patrones de representación taxonómicos con la finalidad de poder identificar qué técnicas cinegéticas emplearon los cazadores del Pleistoceno Superior Final. De esta manera se pueden documentar la sucesión de una serie de fases que van desde unas estrategias cinegéticas diversificadas al comienzo del Solutense hasta otras más especializadas en el trascurso del Magdaleniense, en el que prima cada vez más los propios criterios de selección humana frente a otros condicionantes externos como el clima o el entorno. Por otra parte la identificación de estas conductas especializadas o diversificadas dependerá en parte de los criterios metodológicos empleados, así la utilización de un método basado en el número de restos (NR) propiciará un marco más especializado, que otro basado en el número mínimo de individuos (NMI).

In recent years, new techniques for the morphological study of cut marks have become essential for the interpretation of prehistoric butchering practices. Different criteria have been suggested for the description and classification of cut marks. The methods commonly used for the study of cut marks rely on high-cost microscopy techniques with low portability (i.e., inability to work in situ), such as the 3D digital microscope (3D DM) or laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). Recently, new algorithmic developments in the field of computer vision and photogrammetry, have achieved very high precision and resolution, offering a portable and low-cost alternative to microscopic techniques. However, the photogrammetric techniques present some disadvantages, such as longer data collection and processing time, and the requirement of some photogrammetric expertise for the calibration of the cameras and the acquisition of precise image orientation. In this paper, we compare two low-cost techniques and their application to cut mark studies: the micro-photogrammetry (M-PG) technique presented, developed, and validated previously, and a methodology based on the use of a structured light scanner (SLS). A total of 47 experimental cut marks, produced using a stainless steel knife, were analyzed. The data registered through virtual reconstruction was analyzed by means of three-dimensional geometric morphometrics (GMM).

Los trabajos de estos últimos años en el Tossal de la Roca aportan un marco geocronológico de indudable valor para el Tardiglaciar del Mediterráneo de la Península Ibérica. 19 dataciones radiocarbónicas permiten situar las distintas ocupaciones magdalenienses y del Epipaleolítico inicial entre el 13.690 ± 59 y el 11.820 ± 40 BP. A partir del análisis comparativo de sus industrias con las de otros yacimientos se discute sobre la amplia variabilidad del Magdaleniense en la vertiente mediterránea peninsular. Por último el hallazgo de un arpón en el Tossal de la Roca, donde hasta el momento no se había recuperado ninguno, y el papel otorgado a este elemento como referente cronológico indudable, obliga a revisar los planteamientos comúnmente aceptados para definir este período.

Este trabajo es una síntesis de los estudios zooarqueológicos desarrollados en el Musteriense de la cornisa cantábrica. De esta forma con los datos existentes en la bibliografía se plantea algunas interpretaciones relacionadas con la subsistencia de este momento para esta región, con la finalidad de intentar establecer ciertas conclusiones, correlaciones y posibles interpretaciones, analizando los datos procedentes del NR (Número de Restos), el MNI (Número Mínimo de Individuos), los patrones de representación anatómica así como los patrones de alteración ósea de aquellos taxones más susceptibles de consumo humano. Al final los patrones de alteración ósea se revela como el más eficaz en la interpretación del registro arqueológico.

Recent excavations in Level 4 at BK (Bed II, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania) have yielded nine hominin teeth, a distal humerus fragment, a proximal radius with much of its shaft, a femur shaft, and a tibia shaft fragment (cataloged collectively as OH 80). Those elements identified more specifically than to simply Hominidae gen. et sp. indet are attributed to Paranthropus boisei. Before this study, incontrovertible P. boisei partial skeletons, for which postcranial remains occurred in association with taxonomically diagnostic craniodental remains, were unknown. Thus, OH 80 stands as the first unambiguous, dentally associated Paranthropus partial skeleton from East Africa. The morphology and size of its constituent parts suggest that the fossils derived from an extremely robust individual who, at 1.338±0.024 Ma (1 sigma), represents one of the most recent occurrences of Paranthropus before its extinction in East Africa.

Meat-eating was an important factor affecting early hominin brain expansion, social organization and geographic movement. Stone tool butchery marks on ungulate fossils in several African archaeological assemblages demonstrate a significant level of carnivory by Pleistocene hominins, but the discovery at Olduvai Gorge of a child's pathological cranial fragments indicates that some hominins probably experienced scarcity of animal foods during various stages of their life histories. The child's parietal fragments, excavated from 1.5-million-year-old sediments, show porotic hyperostosis, a pathology associated with anemia. Nutritional deficiencies, including anemia, are most common at weaning, when children lose passive immunity received through their mothers' milk. Our results suggest, alternatively, that (1) the developmentally disruptive potential of weaning reached far beyond sedentary Holocene food-producing societies and into the early Pleistocene, or that (2) a hominin mother's meat-deficient diet negatively altered the nutritional content of her breast milk to the extent that her nursing child ultimately died from malnourishment. Either way, this discovery highlights that by at least 1.5 million years ago early human physiology was already adapted to a diet that included the regular consumption of meat.

La Cueva del Ruso (Igollo, Camargo, Cantabria) contiene un importante yacimiento arqueológico con niveles que abarcan desde el Musteriense hasta el Solutrense. En este artículo ofrecemos un estudio zooarqueológico y tafonómico de esta cavidad que permite completar y efectuar una comparación con los datos procedentes de yacimientos cercanos y tan emblemáticos como el Juyo (con niveles magdalenienses) y El Pendo (palimpsesto de diversas ocupaciones). Los resultados obtenidos reflejan novedosos datos sobre las estrategias de subsistencia de los cazadores-recolectores de la Región Cantábrica,matizando, además, las conclusiones obtenidas por estudios previos efectuados en esta zona.The Ruso Cave (Igollo, Camargo, Cantabria) has an important archaeological assemblage with Mousterian to Solutrean levels. In this paper we see how zooarchaeological and taphonomic study of this cave. This analysis allows us to complete and make a comparison with the information from important Paleolithic sites near to the Ruso Cave like El Juyo (with Magdalenian levels) and El Pendo (with mixed Mousterian and Upper Paleolithic levels). The results reflect newest data about the subsistence strategies of the hunters and gatherers of the North of Spain clarifying the conclusions from previous works made in this area.

Los últimos años han observado como la Tafonomía se ha erigido como una disciplina científica imprescindible para la interpretación del registro arqueológico. Sus resultados han permitido comprender los procesos físicos y biológicos que operan en la formación de los yacimientos arqueológicos y paleontológicos. En la Región Cantábrica este tipo de analíticas apenas se habían aplicado pero son cada vez más frecuentes. En este trabajo presentamos el estudio zooarqueológico y tafonómico de la Cueva del Otero, contribuyendo de este modo al incremento de este tipo de estudios en esta región.In the last years the Taphonomy is growing up as a key science to the interpretation of the archaeological record. Its results allow us to understand better the both, physical and biological processes which take part in the formation of the archaeological and paleontological settlements. Traditionally this kind of research in the Cantabrian region hasn´t been employed in many places but day by day is more usual. In this paper we report both the zooarchaeological and taphonomic study of the El Otero cave adding new information on these topics to the Cantabrian region.

RESUMEN: Los trabajos de estos últimos años en la Peña de Estebanvela han permitido profundizar en el conocimiento del Magdaleniense en la Meseta Norte y establecer un marco geocronológico para el Tardiglaciar en la región. A partir del análisis de sus industrias, el arte mueble y varias dataciones radiocarbónicas se propone una atribución cultural para las diferentes ocupaciones del yacimiento. Un análisis comparativo con otros yacimientos coetáneos permite valorar la Peña de Estebanvela dentro del contexto del Magdaleniense Superior Final de la Península Ibérica.ABSTRACT: The latest research at Peña de Estebanvela has led to improved knowledge of the Magdalenian of the Northern Meseta, and made it possible to establish a chronological framework for the Late Glacial of this area. Through analysis of the lithic industries, the portable art and some tadiocarbon dates we are able to put forward a chrono-cultural attribution for the site's various occupations. A comparative analysis of several sites contemporaneous with Peña de Estebanvela reveals the site's importance for the study of the Upper and Final Magdalenian of the Iberian Peninsula.

RESUMEN: Este trabajo supone una síntesis de los estudios subsistenciales durante el Musteriense realizados en el interior y la fachada atlántica de la Península Ibérica. Pero dado el escaso número de yacimientos con este tipo de estudios, sólo me centraré en dos regiones, por un lado los yacimientos portugueses y por el otro los de la mitad norte peninsular repartidos principalmente entre Burgos y Aragón. De esta forma planteo algunas interpretaciones relacionadas con la subsistencia de este momento en esta región, con la finalidad de establecer ciertas conclusiones, correlaciones y posibles interpretaciones, analizando los datos procedentes del NISP, el MNI, los patrones de representación anatómica y los patrones de alteración ósea.ABSTRACT: This work is a synthesis of the subsistence studies the Musterian time made in the inside and the Atlantic side of the Iberian Peninsula. For the little number of sites that had been studied, only is analyzed two regions, the Portuguese's sites and the north middle Peninsula among the regions of Burgos and Aragon. So I make some interpretations of the subsistence for this moment in this region with the finality of establish some conclusions, correlation and interpretations possibly, analyzing the dates of NISP, the MNI and the skeletal representation and the bones alteration's patrons.

RESUMEN: Entre los yacimientos del Paleolítico Superior mediterráneos de la Península Ibérica es frecuente que predominen los lagomorfos entre los perfiles taxonómicos, superando en muchas ocasiones más del 90% de los restos. Sin embargo, el aporte de estos animales en yacimientos paleolíticos de la Península Ibérica muchas veces puede responder a orígenes diversos. Así, además de los lepóridos aportados por el ser humano, también pueden serlo por otros predadores, ya que son presas potenciales de linces, zorros, mustélidos y aves como búhos, cárabos y águilas. Junto a los aportes de estos animales podemos añadir otros factores de aporte, como los ocasionados por procesos naturales de mortalidad en el interior de sus madrigueras. Por este motivo es importante conocer bien las características que genera cada agente en sus acumulaciones para distinguirlas entre sí, y poder así interpretarlas adecuadamente. En los últimos años se han desarrollo una gran cantidad de estudios tafonómicos destinados a verificar el origen de estos animales, y las características que deja cada agente. El análisis de los patrones de fracturación, la morfología de las fracturas, las trazas que presentan los huesos, los patrones de edad, la distribución de cuartos delanteros contra traseros y los perfiles esqueléticos son los medios que podemos utilizar para discriminar el origen de estos lepóridos. En este artículo analizamos los lagomorfos de la Cueva de Ambrosio (Almería) bajo esa premisa, y concluimos que en sus niveles correspondientes al Solutrense Medio, el Solutrense Superior y el Solutrense Superior Evolucionado se deben principalmente a la intervención humana. A pesar de esto, la evidencia de algunas trazas concretas, como marcas de diente y de pico, reflejan que en ciertas ocasiones algunos animales introdujeron presas al yacimiento. De modo que la cueva, aunque fue ocupada por el ser humano durante todas las estaciones, en realidad su habitación no fue constante ni permanente, permitiendo a otros predadores morar en la cavidad en momentos de desocupación.ABSTRACT: The rabbits is an important animal in the taxonomic patterns of the Upper Palaeolithic of the Iberian Peninsula. His abundance is high 90% in many sites but sometimes his presence is a consequence of a no human assemblage. In the last years many researches have made taphonomics studies to compare the origin of this rabbits. Humans, lynx, fox, eagles, owls are a potential predator of this small animals. Also the natural mortality patterns are important assemblage factors, for these reason is important to know and distinguish the different processes and the characteristics that the every agents made in the bones accumulations of leporids. The analysis generated in the last years of fragmentation patterns, the fracture morphology, the bones traces, the age patterns, the distribution anterior versus posterior limbs and the skeletal profiles are the analytics tools that we can use for to distinguishing the different assemblages factors of rabbits. In this paper, we use this method for analyze the rabbits bones of the Solutrean levels of Ambrosio Cave (Almería, South-East of Spain). We conclude that the rabbits of Ambrosio Cave are a consequence of the human behaviours. But the tooth mark, the fragmentation pattern and other processes present in the site reveal that some individuals were introduced for carnivorous and birds. So if the cave was occupied by the human being during all the stations, really the occupation was neither constant nor permanent, allowing to other predators to be in the cavity in moments of no occupation.