Reindeer feeding ecology and hunting strategies by Magdalenians from Pincevent (Paris Basin, France): New insights from dental microwear textural analyses

• Published in: International Journal of Osteoarchaeology
• Main Authors: Catz, Natacha, Bignon-Lau, Olivier, Merceron, Gildas
• Other Authors: Archéologies et Sciences de l'Antiquité (ArScAn), Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (UP1)-Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis (UP8)-Université Paris Nanterre (UPN)-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Ethnologie préhistorique, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (UP1)-Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis (UP8)-Université Paris Nanterre (UPN)-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (UP1)-Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis (UP8)-Université Paris Nanterre (UPN)-Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de paléontologie, évolution, paléoécosystèmes, paléoprimatologie UMR 7262 (Palevoprim Poitiers ), Université de Poitiers = University of Poitiers (UP)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), ANR-11-LABX-0046,Dynamite,Dynamiques Territoriales et spatiales(2011)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2020
• Subjects: Animal exploitation; Dental Microwear Textural Analyses; Upper Magdalenian; Paris Basin; Pincevent; Reindeer; [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory; Rangifer tarandus
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-03435141; https://hal.science/hal-03435141/document; https://hal.science/hal-03435141/file/Catz%20et%20al%202020%20Int%20J%20Osteoarchaeol-Hal%20version.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.2879

International audience In Pincevent (Paris Basin), archeaozoologists have observed a variation of hunting strategies between Magdalenian levels IV0 and IV20. Previous works on human-prey interaction showed that hunters modelled their behaviour on their prey; therefore, reconstructing animal behaviour in order to reconstruct human strategies could enable better interpretation of these levels. This study aims to contribute to a global understanding of the variation between these level's hunting strategies using microwear texture analysis. This proxy, which can be used to reconstruct diet, will enable to detect changes in the behaviour pattern of the prey. The decision was made to focus this study on reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) as it was one of the two most exploited resources on this site, alongside horses. The enamel surface of teeth from two populations of reindeer, hunted and found in levels IV0 and IV20, showed a variation of diet between levels. Environmental and ecological matters are discussed with an aim to understanding this variation of behaviour in reindeer populations and highlight a change of strategic behaviour among hunters.