Mesolithic Freshwater Fishing: A Zooarchaeological Case Study
International audience Abstract In this article we investigate the importance of freshwater fishing during the Mesolithic in France, in inland sites where fishing was always associated with big game hunting. We present a review of Mesolithic sites that have yielded freshwater fish remains and focus...
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Online Access: | https://hal.science/hal-03806525 https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2022-0254 |
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ftunivparis1:oai:HAL:hal-03806525v1 2024-06-23T07:51:52+00:00 Mesolithic Freshwater Fishing: A Zooarchaeological Case Study Pêche en eau douce mésolithique : une étude de cas archéozoologique Bridault, Anne Binois-Roman, Annelise Frontin, Déborah Cupillard, Christophe Petit, Christophe Archéologies environnementales 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)-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) Lab Chronoenvironm Partenaires INRAE 2022-10-06 https://hal.science/hal-03806525 https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2022-0254 en eng HAL CCSD De Gruyter info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1515/opar-2022-0254 hal-03806525 https://hal.science/hal-03806525 doi:10.1515/opar-2022-0254 ISSN: 2300-6560 Open Archaeology https://hal.science/hal-03806525 Open Archaeology, 2022, 8 (1), pp.739-764. ⟨10.1515/opar-2022-0254⟩ [SHS]Humanities and Social Sciences [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory [SHS.ENVIR]Humanities and Social Sciences/Environmental studies [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environment and Society [SDE]Environmental Sciences [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2022 ftunivparis1 https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2022-0254 2024-06-10T23:58:18Z International audience Abstract In this article we investigate the importance of freshwater fishing during the Mesolithic in France, in inland sites where fishing was always associated with big game hunting. We present a review of Mesolithic sites that have yielded freshwater fish remains and focus on a case study from an occupation dated to the eighth millennium BC at Les Cabônes rock shelter, located near the Doubs River, that yielded over 9,300 fish remains. Cyprinid (including bream, roach, and minnow) remains are predominant; other taxa, such as salmonids (probably trout), grayling, burbot, perch, and eel, are represented by only a few remains each. Although small fish (about 15 cm) constitute the majority of the catch, we provide evidence that their accumulation in the shelter is mostly of human origin. These catches constituted a source of food throughout the year, particularly during the lean season. According to the ecological preferences of the fish species identified, it is highly unlikely that they were caught in a single location. The animals were probably caught with passive fishing equipment in shallow banks or side channels where large numbers of specimens could be captured. Fishing appears to have been optimised to maximise yield-to-effort ratios, together with other wetland resources. Finally, we question the presumed causal links between site micro-setting, site occupation, and increased dependence on aquatic resources and reduced group mobility. Article in Journal/Newspaper Burbot Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne: HAL Open Archaeology 8 1 739 764 |
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Open Polar |
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Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne: HAL |
op_collection_id |
ftunivparis1 |
language |
English |
topic |
[SHS]Humanities and Social Sciences [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory [SHS.ENVIR]Humanities and Social Sciences/Environmental studies [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environment and Society [SDE]Environmental Sciences [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology |
spellingShingle |
[SHS]Humanities and Social Sciences [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory [SHS.ENVIR]Humanities and Social Sciences/Environmental studies [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environment and Society [SDE]Environmental Sciences [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology Bridault, Anne Binois-Roman, Annelise Frontin, Déborah Cupillard, Christophe Petit, Christophe Mesolithic Freshwater Fishing: A Zooarchaeological Case Study |
topic_facet |
[SHS]Humanities and Social Sciences [SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory [SHS.ENVIR]Humanities and Social Sciences/Environmental studies [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environment and Society [SDE]Environmental Sciences [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology |
description |
International audience Abstract In this article we investigate the importance of freshwater fishing during the Mesolithic in France, in inland sites where fishing was always associated with big game hunting. We present a review of Mesolithic sites that have yielded freshwater fish remains and focus on a case study from an occupation dated to the eighth millennium BC at Les Cabônes rock shelter, located near the Doubs River, that yielded over 9,300 fish remains. Cyprinid (including bream, roach, and minnow) remains are predominant; other taxa, such as salmonids (probably trout), grayling, burbot, perch, and eel, are represented by only a few remains each. Although small fish (about 15 cm) constitute the majority of the catch, we provide evidence that their accumulation in the shelter is mostly of human origin. These catches constituted a source of food throughout the year, particularly during the lean season. According to the ecological preferences of the fish species identified, it is highly unlikely that they were caught in a single location. The animals were probably caught with passive fishing equipment in shallow banks or side channels where large numbers of specimens could be captured. Fishing appears to have been optimised to maximise yield-to-effort ratios, together with other wetland resources. Finally, we question the presumed causal links between site micro-setting, site occupation, and increased dependence on aquatic resources and reduced group mobility. |
author2 |
Archéologies environnementales 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)-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) Lab Chronoenvironm Partenaires INRAE |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bridault, Anne Binois-Roman, Annelise Frontin, Déborah Cupillard, Christophe Petit, Christophe |
author_facet |
Bridault, Anne Binois-Roman, Annelise Frontin, Déborah Cupillard, Christophe Petit, Christophe |
author_sort |
Bridault, Anne |
title |
Mesolithic Freshwater Fishing: A Zooarchaeological Case Study |
title_short |
Mesolithic Freshwater Fishing: A Zooarchaeological Case Study |
title_full |
Mesolithic Freshwater Fishing: A Zooarchaeological Case Study |
title_fullStr |
Mesolithic Freshwater Fishing: A Zooarchaeological Case Study |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mesolithic Freshwater Fishing: A Zooarchaeological Case Study |
title_sort |
mesolithic freshwater fishing: a zooarchaeological case study |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://hal.science/hal-03806525 https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2022-0254 |
genre |
Burbot |
genre_facet |
Burbot |
op_source |
ISSN: 2300-6560 Open Archaeology https://hal.science/hal-03806525 Open Archaeology, 2022, 8 (1), pp.739-764. ⟨10.1515/opar-2022-0254⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1515/opar-2022-0254 hal-03806525 https://hal.science/hal-03806525 doi:10.1515/opar-2022-0254 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2022-0254 |
container_title |
Open Archaeology |
container_volume |
8 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
739 |
op_container_end_page |
764 |
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1802643019035312128 |