Large carnivores and small games use from the Early Aurignacian of La Quina aval (Charente, France) (V. Dujardin excavations)

• Published in: Paléo
• Main Authors: Mallye, Jean-Baptiste, Soulier, Marie-Cécile, Laroulandie, Véronique
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Musée national de Préhistoire 2015
• Subjects: Aurignacien ancien; La Quina aval; archéozoologie; carnivores; petits gibiers; boucherie; Early Aurignacian; Zooarchaeology; small game; butchery; archeo; hist; snowy owl
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/paleo/2865

This paper presents the results of a zooarchaeological analysis conducted on the remains of large carnivores and small game from the Early Aurignacian from the site of La Quina aval. This site was excavated successively by Dr. Henri-Martin and her daughter Germaine at the early and mid-twentieth century. Recently, the site was re- excavated by Véronique Dujardin. The different excavations yielded a large archaeological sample composed of many faunal remains but also lithic and bone artefact industry, a large number of personal ornament (bones, teeth and shell) as well as several anatomically modern human remains.Our study focuses on small-game remains found during the last excavation campaign. Our results provide several unpublished results. We first offer the first quantification of each taxa in terms of number of identified remains but also in terms of minimal number of individuals.These data will contribute to define more precisely the paleoenvironment and lead to a better understanding of the paleogeography of the different species. Despite a modest sample size, the evidences of human exploitation were observed on the wolf, the fox, the hare and the snowy owl remains. Our results provide a new vision of the Man’s hunting bag during the Early Aurigacian in Charente. The butchery processes are discussed and the economical status of each game is proposed. Dans cet article, nous présentons les résultats d’une analyse archéozoologique qui a porté sur les restes de grands carnivores et de petits vertébrés du gisement de La Quina aval (Charente, France). Ce gisement a été fouillé par le docteur Henri-Martin puis par sa fille au début et au milieu du XXè siècle. La dernière campagne de fouille dirigée par Véronique Dujardin remonte à la fin du siècle dernier. Le gisement a livré les témoins d’une industrie lithique et osseuse attribuable à l’Aurignacien ancien, un grand nombre d’objets de parure ainsi que des restes d’Homme anatomiquement moderne. Notre étude a porté sur les restes trouvés lors de la dernière ...