atPope Matt 2 south the to dip and sedimentary island igneous, the of of 1 north outcrops the comprising at 120m Islands, rise Channel which geologies the metamorphic of and largest the is Cotte La regarding Introduction: Scott Beccy St de Jersey Cotte Brelade, La from view new A 7 6 5 4 3 utn,btyercsurvey bathymetric hunting, Keywords: loess. wind-blown ANTIQUITY  C St Brelade La Cottede niut ulctosLtd. Publications Antiquity orpsAcaooia eerhCnr n uemfrHmnBhvorlEouin(GM,Schloss (RGZM), [email protected]) Evolution (Email: Behavioural Human Neuwied, for 56567, Museum Monrepos and Southampton, Centre of Research University Archaeological Archaeology, Monrepos of UK 1BF, Department SO17 Origins, Human Southampton of Highfield, (Email: Archaeology UK the OPY, for WC1H Centre London Square, Gordon 31–34 London, [email protected]) College (Email: University UK Archaeology, 9PL, of Institute M13 Manchester Road, Oxford Manchester, (Email:[email protected]) of UK University 9AL, Archaeology, KY16 of Andrews Department St Street, North Andrews, St [email protected]) of UK University 7ED, Geography, SA48 of Ceredigion Department Lampeter, David, Saint Trinity N1 [email protected]) Wales (Email: London of Road, University Archaeology, Orsman of 28–55 House, Department Franks [email protected]) Museum, (Email: British UK The 5QJ, Europe, and Prehistory of Department 8(04:1–9http://antiquity.ac.uk/ant/088/ant0880013.htm 13–29 (2014): 88 hne sad,Jre,Mdl aaoihc eneta,ms il mammoth kill, mass , Palaeolithic, Middle Jersey, Islands, Channel 5 nrwShaw Andrew , 1 atnBates Martin , Jersey m200 km 0 6 2 ihr Bates Richard , &GeoffSmith N 13 eunt odciaebaktdte in them blanketed climate cold a site, to return the at preserved bone and undisturbed of accumulations simply final were the these that suggesting kill’ ‘mass hypothesis, the undermines heaps further bone themselves the previously of the was Reconsideration to that envisaged. plain landscape coastal different featureless very the a indicates however, of site, in of coastal study Palaeolithic evidence New Middle this Brelade drives. heaps as hunting intentional St uncovered interpreted of bones, 1970s de mammoth and Cotte Excavations 1960s kills? La mass in at cliffs mammoth over drive herds hunters Neanderthal Did 3 7 hna Conneller Chantal , nsitu in 4 hnthe when ,

Research A new view from La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey

Figure 1. A) Position of the within north-western Europe; B) position of Jersey in relation to the other Channel Islands and the northern French coast; C) simplified geological map of Jersey, showing the position of the main sites mentioned in the text. Based upon an image supplied by John Renouf. into a series of embayments (Figure 1). The topographic and landscape setting of the island of Jersey would have altered profoundly according to climate and associated sea level change throughout the . During cool–cold and low sea level events, Jersey would have been joined to northern France, isolated between broadly south-east to north-west trending rivers running between Jersey and the modern Cotentin Peninsula (to the north-west) and the to the south (see Figure 1). Jersey would have been widely visible across the exposed landscapes of the Channel river plain as an upstanding ‘terrestrial island’ or plateau, especially from the north, becoming progressively isolated as the climate warmed and sea level rose; sea level heights some 10m below modern levels would have served to isolate Jersey as an island. Jersey provides many contexts for the preservation of Pleistocene sediments. These include head and loess deposits, at least four raised beach sequences, head-filled coastal fissures, and sea . Two such caves are La Belle Hogue, which produced an important Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e dwarf red deer fauna, and La Cotte alaCh` evre,` which contained Middle Palaeolithic archaeology (Zeuner 1946; Callow 1986c). La Cotte de St Brelade is, however, the foremost of Jersey’s Pleistocene locales and offers an archaeological record of Continental significance. La Cotte de St Brelade has played a significant role in the study of Neanderthal behavioural capacity and organisational abilities. For the past quarter-century the artefact and faunal assemblages from the site have contributed to discussions of Neanderthal subsistence and hunting strategies during the late Middle Pleistocene (Callow & Cornford 1986). C Antiquity Publications Ltd.

14 loe st eou ntest.I diin nipratnwve fL ot de bathymetric Cotte through La environs of submerged view now new its important terrestrial of has the an on survey. exploration below, both addition, detail, through and reported in In setting and site, work, landscape site. headland its the understanding This the by gained of archive. on was Brelade portions refocus St site attention, unexcavated to the required us of of that allowed importance reorganisation aspects and complete Cotte—identifying scope initiating La extent, initiated, of was the Pope reanalysis pulse’ (QAEJ; delimiting and the assessment project archive ‘taking Jersey investigation, of effectively site of Environments programme and A Archaeology 2012). Quaternary the well- of long, totalling its finds, provenanced despite overlooked, of largely quantity artefacts. exceptional been 000 the 200 and has has sequence but Cotte sedimentary issues, La stratified such material. paucity ‘domestic’ address a unambiguously by to impaired containing potential been sites has stratified Europe deeply Northern of in patterns occupation permanent more n akseicetato n uceysts(Boismier sites butchery and extraction task-specific and i cuainstsicroaiglvn pcsado tutrs(Demay structures and/or spaces living incorporating sites occupation air o eneta rusognsdtesle nsaeadtm,soigcerevidence clear showing of time, lithic understanding and extended spatially deeper space preference, a in landscape developed themselves for has organised Europe groups Northern Neanderthal the in how fact, use as landscape and phenomenon occupation Palaeolithic patterns the Middle on of research Concurrently, scrutiny. reinforcement escaped has itself consequent concept the and to reference confirming drives beyond hunting, Yet, game readdressed. Neanderthal behaviours. hypothesised cooperative of been socially complexity and never the logistical organised, reinforced has highly years. have 25 hypothesis studies last and game-drive the sites for the New unstudied referenced, largely remained frequently has Cotte Although La Neanderthal from material on excavated The perspective new Cotte La Reconsidering a St century de twentieth Cotte the offered La which of localities 1994). in Palaeolithic decades Stiner Middle last key 1986; populations. of of the Chase canon involvement 1985; in the The entered (Binford therefore ravines. cognitive hunters Brelade their granite concerning as assumptions over deep challenged capabilities herds predation the mammoth organised driving and into hunters premeditated Neanderthal headland with consistent the the most of arrangement was and composition at heaps the sequence that bone stratigraphic concluded deep Scott the 1986b). of 1980, part (Scott formed Cotte La which 6) MIS (early heaps bone distinctive a provided Brelade hunters. St Neanderthal de by Cotte drives La game at Neanderthal for ravines location deep of the record that extensive consciousness: archaeological and the detailed (spanning most Europe Northern the in offering occupation site the despite However, eosdrn h oeta fbt h ieadacieo aCtewsacr aim core a was Cotte La of archive and site the both of potential the Reconsidering hscmeln mrsini eie rmKt ct’ ineigfua nlsso two of analysis faunal pioneering Scott’s Kate from derived is impression compelling This ec Scott Beccy c 3–0kB) n mrsinhsdominated has impression one BP), k 238–40 . 15 tal. et cha ˆ nsop ınes tal. et ´ eratoires 02.Udrtnigof Understanding 2012).  C Gnse18) open- 1989), (Geneste niut ulctosLtd. Publications Antiquity tal. et 2012), tal. et

Research A new view from La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey

View to a kill: topography of the game drive route One particular view of La Cotte dominates the archaeological consciousness. The site is in- variably photographed from within the fissure itself, or from the beach at low tide (Figure 2), visually reinforcing the game drive hypothesis by emphasising the precipitate drop into the fissure system. This view of La Cotte sees the dissected modern coastline contrasting heavily with the flat plateau above the site and that submerged beneath the sea. In effect, modern sea level has a tabula rasa effect, fooling the eye into assuming that a flat horizon and landscape has always lain beyond the modern coastline. Approaching the site from above offers a different view (Figure 3); the ravines are part of a wider system dissecting the headland. La Cotte Point is indeed isolated, protruding north-west into St Brelade’s Bay, connected to Portelet Common by a narrow neck of land and superficially forming a topographic projection of the wide plateau suitable for game drives. However, crossing this projection actually entails crossing complex, rocky and rugged topography, involving a significant dip and near vertical climb out over the last granite outcrop (Figures 4 & 5). This depression aligns with joints mapped elsewhere and may represent an infilled fissure. Modern African elephants have been shown actively to avoid rugged ground, and especially steep topography, because of the energy costs incurred by their body weight (Wall et al. 2006); this pattern is especially pronounced for females with young (de Figure 2. View facing east, looking up into the western Knegt et al. 2010). ravine of the fissure system of La Cotte from the beach. The topography of the headland would present a significant barrier to mammoths (Figure 5). Successfully driving animals over the cliff would first require that they be present upon an elevated, rocky plateau; modern African elephants avoid and ‘stream around’ isolated landforms (Wall et al. 2006). Jersey could have represented just such an isolated plateau during low sea level events. If such a herd was present, driving them over the cliff would then require forcing them over these natural barriers and up onto a fairly restricted space on the headland. Rather than being a flat, narrowing plateau leading straight to a precipitate drop, however, this landscape would divide a herd and actively direct them away from the supposed death trap. That does not preclude the possibility that cliffs around the headland were used in this way, but this would involve the transport of large carcass elements into the to form the bone heaps, a scenario at odds with Scott’s original argument for the game drive based on skeletal completeness. C Antiquity Publications Ltd.

16 n nhr aa n loigdvlpeto emesmdlfo ohmrn and marine both from model Bates seamless by a adopted approach of land-based (an development using sectors allowing Cotte terrestrial offshore and La of integration data, of ensuring front onshore the overlap, in and between of area platform overlap another rock with provided zone, intertidal measurements the intertidal theodolite from rocky of data Survey the obtained datasets. to survey the through two The Bay. waters when Brelade’s offshore St occupied deeper beyond have the and survey would two within from it deployed sonar landscape sidescan were bathymetric level vessels using systems sea Sonar deposited. low were Cotte thus heaps the topography, La bone offshore within local surrounding the Cotte landscapes of La structure seabed controlling relocating the the St understand Mapping varied to de have level. us Cotte allowed would sea has La landscape in local of the shifts the view but with of with new site us configuration immensely overall provided precise the the results The from guided here. The has not presented 2011. Brelade which came of perspective summer landscape in the its shift in within fundamental conducted Cotte survey seabed La a of from Cotte picture La compelling of setting more landscape A the and survey bathymetric offshore ground: Commanding have would This north. the to mapped red) fault 4.5). in fig. the (boxed 1986: with Cornford constriction line & the in Callow Note system, from fissure Common. (modified Portelet the barrier above from significant ground projection a reach as formed to Point climb Cotte steep La the of before topography Modern 3. Figure ec Scott Beccy 17 tal. et tal et 2012). .  C niut ulctosLtd. Publications Antiquity

Research A new view from La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey

Figure 4. A) Schematic representation of potential in-filled fissure inland of La Cotte; B) view of headland from the south, showing La Cotte and inland fissure (vegetated). The processed results included a map or bathymetric chart of depths with 0.2m vertical resolution and at a lateral bin-resolution of 0.5m (Figure 6). Sonar was also used to simultaneously acquire information on seafloor backscatter. Backscatter describes sonar signal strength reflected from the seafloor; hard substrates such as rock produce a stronger reflectivity, and thus backscatter, than soft substrates such as mud. After initial data processing for both bathymetry and backscatter, the data was uploaded to ArcGIS (v10) for integration with terrestrial data (Figure 7). The survey area extended west to east from Corbier lighthouse to Portelet Bay, and from the intertidal area of St Brelade’s Bay south to 4km offshore. Greatest depths (over 25m) were recorded in the south and west, with two large rocky ridges extending west–east across the study area. These ridges are heavily dissected by valleys that mirror the granitic coastline, with steep cliffs and 20m-tall rock pinnacles. Two major east–west valleys separate the ridges (Figure 6). Another significant area exists at the southernmost margin of the region surveyed; here the seabed drops to below –20m, suggesting a line of granite cliffs, forming a drowned terrestrial coastline during times of lowered sea level. Such areas may contain similar caves and fissures to La Cotte, and therefore represent potential sea floor capture points for evidence of past human activity, as well as providing the potential to more accurately reconstruct changing sea level on the southern side of the Channel river. C Antiquity Publications Ltd.

18 cuaino h iewe e ee a oe.Tedt hwdta ahrta sitting (the than landscape rather featureless that and showed flat data rather The lower. a was of level edge sea the when at site the of occupation iue5 )Ve fteapoc oteL ot suefo otltCmo,cosn h te i n lm cosEast across climb and headland. dip Cotte steep La the the crossing reach Common, to Portelet from climb fissure and Cotte dip La of the heights to relative approach B) the Col; of View A) 5. Figure alyofrdNadrhl adcp nwihlremmascudb oheffectively both be could mammals large which ambushed. and in controlled landscape dead-end and a landscape the Neanderthals grid-patterned to offered the contrast plateau, valley In upper relief. the variable of overlooked—indeed, of terrain cave game-drive landscape the difficult structured level, highly sea low a of over times view during commanded—a featureless; and flat site. from the Cotte far below was La just bluffs of granite entrance rising of south-facing line the abrupt an towards in directly ends valley systems, This valley 6). (Figure major the patterns of access one to rise giving 6). granite, (Figure the plans in street structures gridded fault of reminiscent and joint by largely controlled landscape. Pleistocene now-submerged the through the had landscape this of architecture hard granite structure-led The and valleys. complex features: and relatively following a canyons of bluffs, margins of the at landscape located was Cotte La level), obnn h nhr n fsoedt rvdsafehprpcieo Neanderthal on perspective fresh a provides data offshore and onshore the Combining rmtedti fti uvyw a o eemn h iwfo aCted tBrelade St de Cotte La from view the determine now can we survey this of detail the From )Ms motnl,asalvle smpe unn nanrhrydrcinfrom direction northerly a in running mapped is valley small a importantly, Most 3) valleys steep-sided of network a comprised have would routes reefs granite potential Now-submerged major the 2) provided geology the of structure trending west–east The 1) ec Scott Beccy 19 tal. et auarasa tabula  C niut ulctosLtd. Publications Antiquity feto oensea modern of effect

Research A new view from La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey

Figure 6. Bathymetric chart of the area surveyed; depths given to 0.2m vertical resolution and at a lateral bin-resolution of 0.5m. Inset shows detail of valley running north up to south entrance to La Cotte fissure system.

Reviewing the mass kill: the archaeological and sedimentary context of the bone heaps The new perspective gained from acquiring an appreciation of La Cotte’s landscape context developed alongside our reassessment and overview of material from the site. Our close reading of the published monograph (Callow & Cornford 1986) allowed us to appreciate that the game drive hypothesis was a conclusion grounded soundly on compelling data, but also that it was not the only possible explanation for the bone heaps entertained by Scott, Callow and Cornford (Callow & Cornford 1986, and chapters therein). We set out to try to understand how the hypothesis could be tested and what aspects of interpretative ambiguity in the original research could be brought into clearer focus. While this preliminary study necessarily concentrated on the bone heaps, we were mindful to develop a ‘whole-site’ approach, believing that behaviour could only be isolated from natural processes through considering the entire sequence and the site’s changing landscape and environmental setting.

Sedimentary context and taphonomy of the bone heaps The bone heaps comprise two accumulations of mammoth and woolly rhino preserved within loess (layers 3 and 6). The bone heap of layer 3 overlies a rich occupation level (layer A), sealed by loess, beneath granite slabs spalled from the walls. These slabs underlay a C Antiquity Publications Ltd.

20 oeha,lyrAwsacmne rci;mmohadriobnsrse nits on rested bones rhino and mammoth 3), layer breccia; the and cemented by A a overlain Where was layers did 115). A but between 1986a: horse surface, layer (Scott Although (2/3—junction itself heap, horse. field heap bone lacking bone the 3 3 the in in into layer A mixed The layers layer was levels. from interface none other distinct to of was fauna attributed heap) varied was bone more larger the lacked (the rhino fauna woolly and mammoth the by to contributors different by discussed 1986). The is Cornford 8). Figure & heaps see (Callow bone 81; embedded monograph 1986a: the was Callow of 6.1; which nature (layer of loess depositional top by discrete the sealed heap in bone 5), upper (layer second, occupation the dense equally yet thinner, second, survey. topographic terrestrial with integrated survey bathymetric of Results 7. Figure wf,a eyfwo h oe hwdayeiec fsraewahrn,adsm were some and weathering, surface of evidence was any burial showed this that bones likely the seems of It loess. few by very sealed were as both swift, which in manner skull the mammoth of how because a processes. envisage natural to into through difficult driven way is is this It in 144–45). rib accumulated 1980: One have (Scott could end. occipital bones on the bones into resting planes, parietal some single the occupied with with through heaps other, wall, bone Both each western 159). the on 1986b: against lying (Scott bone stacked top This were on 5). skulls bones (layer rhino the two horizon features; occupation striking some underlying exhibits the heap in embedded partly was however, ct 18,18b mhssdcnrssi opsto;tebn ep dominated heaps bone the composition; in contrasts emphasised 1986b) (1980, Scott h tiigarneeto h oehascudol edtce uigexcavation during detected be only could heaps bone the of arrangement striking The not eert noi.Tesalr pe oeha mnldb os 6.1), loess by (mantled heap bone upper smaller, The it. into penetrate ec Scott Beccy 21 tal. et  C niut ulctosLtd. Publications Antiquity

Research A new view from La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey

Figure 8. Composite section (west-facing) through the deposits infilling La Cotte de St Brelade, showing the position of the bone heaps (modified from Callow 1986a: 61, fig. 6.6). recovered in articulation (Scott 1986b: 169–70). There are few artefacts associated directly with the bone heaps, and other occupation debris—such as charcoal and burnt bone—is also scarce. In contrast, the occupation layers which underlie the bone heaps and comprise most of the sequence contain abundant evidence for fire management (charcoal and burnt bone), quantities of crushed and comminuted bone forming bone-rich breccia in a loessic matrix, and abundant lithics (Scott 1986a: 115). Whilst Scott stressed the unique nature of the bone heaps, Callow emphasised that they formed part of the cyclical loess sedimentation that provided the matrix for the underlying layers (A and 5). He viewed these occupations as ending with the deposition of loess over the bone heaps as conditions cooled (Callow 1986a: 59). The precise relationship between the bone heaps and underlying occupation deposits requires resolution. One possibility is that their apparent peculiarity may be a preservational accident; they record final occupation before abandonment, and look very different to when the site was more intensively used. The bone breccia of layers A and 5 may once have been carefully arranged, but ongoing occupation resulted in rearrangement, crushing and C Antiquity Publications Ltd.

22 ihtepcla ragmn ftebn ep sakd ned n cuyn single occupying them. mantles and that end, loess on the to Combined (stacked, attributable 1986). heaps arguably Brochet bone is & preservation the Chaline this of 3; planes), layer arrangement recovered (especially peculiar was heaps the Cotte bone La with the from of microfauna (Scott the loess all levels the and almost lowermost from Secondly, bovids the 5). deer, and only occupation underlying A red to the (layers from horse, limited horizons material residual are of represent they heaps that remains Two suggesting bone 115), the context. the the 1986a: firstly, that sedimentary from this; and suggestion mammals position large the support other their fit evidence of does of because heaps lines unusual bone further appear the only from heaps fauna bone mammoth modifications. extensive other the and cutmarks and of form the colleagues and in Scott 1986) by Vincent identified & was evi- Jones heaps Further floors bone 1980; another. butchery the in (Scott from heads the mammoth and of of area one butchery parts in for specific processed dence only be complete might small, fairly limbs another are butchering Thus, one areas exposed. of were to remains excavated the the patterns represent as skeletal they but, that inverse mammoths, indicate exhibit to heaps kill/butchery Scott by a these taken from That was away 173). transported 1986b: usually not (Scott have are would site and elements large such are heavy; heaps extremely bone both been within represented 1986b: portions Scott carcass femurs; (especially The large, hindlimbs 159–60). of and composed pelves) mostly and is (scapulae 6 bones layer post-cranial contrast, axial In pelvic elements. with forelimb together some elements, and head by scapulae dominated bones, is 3 Layer hunting. reanalysis. by of reinforced been episodes has individual likely than more were kill of heaps mass edge bone a the of the that residues at suggested the found she be frequently basis, to are this rhinos On groups. young elephant solitary, modern structure; herd rhino living woolly and a mammoth prime-aged reflected and young (1980) of Scott numbers large arrangement. relatively peculiar that their suggested beyond features, noteworthy some exhibit do be heaps to fragile these too throughout 110). were common 1986a: most (Scott extremely but identified fact excavation, alone in during let was recovered, rest plotted bone the were from that fragments species fact Many identifiable the deposits. of beneath belies (directly proportion sequence the A reduced produced the layer the heaps with However, of together bone 1). Table site, The see the sequence. from 3; the bones layer of identifiable rest the the of from majority that vast and observations material heaps original faunal Scott’s bone the between of the differences many from clear confirmed emphasised (1986b) has Scott Cotte 2013). 2012, La (Smith from fauna the of modification Reanalysis human for evidence and composition assemblage Faunal the of behaviours overlie. rest they the the layers whether throughout the apparent test in those to which especially from necessary deposition, and differ sequence, is loess formation It of heap heaps. bone cold bone with extreme the associated the preserved during and reoccupied sealed not swiftly was site The burning. h otatbtentefamne anlasmlg rmtesqec sawhole a as sequence the from assemblage faunal fragmented the between contrast The as curious, equally is heaps bone the within mammoth of representation element Skeletal bone the from assemblages faunal the preservation, fortuitous their for allowing Even ec Scott Beccy 23 tal. et  C niut ulctosLtd. Publications Antiquity

Research

eunea h ie ahrta xliigtebn ep sioae niisi themselves. in entities isolated as heaps bone the explaining than whole the re- rather account is site, into perspective the take wider at that a sequence analytical models that sophisticated behavioural assessment, they and a above taphonomic of how the incorporating of development quired, determining basis the the heaps, requires on system bone suggest, We ravine the programme. the up were within Neanderthals make be that to that clear came presented remains seems was it mammoth vicinity While the the immediate 1986b). favoured butchering the (Callow (1986b) from explanation Scott carcasses alternative Although of site. an the as import of the vicinity hypothesis, driven immediate drive been the (having game in itself or fissure the cliff), within the either died off have must animals the that visible. scenarios: reflect they behaviours the accident this renders time, is cold which It in preservation use. extreme points ongoing and by of particular abandonment obscured of is at onset final behaviour site-use which the the within of palimpests of fall—reflecting snapshots than residues rather reflect loess therefore the substantial levels represent before These to conditions. site seem as however, the such heaps, of pieces, than bone occupation rearrangement robust The and generally occupation bones. ongoing comprising fragile survive fauna fragmented, to more the likely is heaps, more are bone sequence elements the Such the to teeth. of contrast In rest preserved. the are they from which by conditions the reflect ih nvraini eneta eaiu n,utmtl,teoii ftebn heaps. bone the of origin whole-site the ultimately, Our and, throw behaviour might Neanderthal occupation. deposits in contrasting variation two Neanderthal the on from light lithics of the comparing evidence that charcoal suggests 847 bone, approach bone—abundant burnt 31 of of form degraded the assemblage in lithic debris and occupation substantial of a bed. deposits loess rich contained 786 artefacts sterile with contrast, of associated otherwise some pieces, by an sample within 6, (A), a heaps, layer layer bones provided underlying main assemblage to two The the This assigned of 3. lower firmly the layer with are from associated analysed artefacts been the was few have artefacts If stone This While artefacts heaps. the samples. in bones. bone reflected the invalid be the could with statistically this accompanying behaviours associated as unique directly reflect viewed themselves assemblages heaps the being bone were analysed monograph, not these were 1986 as 6 the unfortunate, and 3 of layers from part assemblages evidence as artefact behavioural The of assessment assemblages. our lithic is the Cotte La from to approach whole-site this of example An heaps bone the and use tool Neanderthal de.Otnteerflc eetdrsapnn,rpeetn neeat cnmclway economical elegant, material. an flake raw representing down tractable is resharpening, struck conserving sample) edges, repeated of of reflect unretouched cent these and per Often 10.5 tools, (72; edges. retouched products flakes of resharpening and numerous Recycling by cores material. indicated other frequently raw reduction—these all represented, poorly non-flint almost is of dominates local, 2011) Ashton which end on & flaking, (Scott tail sites Levallois 8–6 site. MIS the European the north-west from at smallest adopted the amongst been are have to appears ie h ieo h acs otosrpeetd ct 18b 7)sgetdtwo suggested 173) (1986b: Scott represented, portions carcass the of size the Given might heaps bone the of composition unique apparently the that possible seems thus It ae 3: Layer ihnti ae icia aigo ml oe oiae,a prahthat approach an dominates, cores small of flaking discoidal layer this within ec Scott Beccy 25 tal. et  C niut ulctosLtd. Publications Antiquity

Research A new view from La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey

Layer A: cores and resultant flakes are also small (Hutcheson & Callow 1986: 249); similarly, longitudinal resharpening flakes and discoidal cores are common. Overall, the technological strategies employed during the formation of both layers are similar—with a notable exception; handaxes are recorded as present in layer A. In fact, most of the bifaces from the site come from this level (70 bifacial pieces; Callow 1986b: 311). Initial re-examination of the layer A material during archive re-organisation, however, did not show up many handaxes; many bifacial pieces actually appear to be core fragments (personal observation by present author BS, May 2012). Initial assessment of the previously unanalysed layer 3 stone artefacts suggests behavioural continuity between the main occupation layer A and the layer 3 bone heap. It is a signature that lends weight to the possibility that both should be considered as one single assemblage, with layer 3 effectively being a sterile loess deposit which sealed the underlying occupation unit, including artefacts derived from below, and preserving faunal material at the very end of the deposition of layer A in a spectacular fashion. This pattern seems plausible in isolation but when considered in the context of the whole site, it becomes more compelling. A rhythm between occupation and apparent bone heap accumulations is also witnessed in the transition from occupation layer 5 into bone heap 6. Sedimentation at the site reflects a single, variable system of climate-driven accumulation and Neanderthal occupation.

(Re)viewing La Cotte de St Brelade: towards a heterogeneous account of Neanderthal behaviour Since publication of the Callow and Cornford monograph, views of Neanderthal behaviour have shifted profoundly. Anglophone literature of the 1980s cast Neanderthals as reactive animals and peripheral scavengers (e.g. Binford 1985), subsisting on ice-ravaged carcasses, equipped only with snow probes (cf. Gamble 1987). The game-drive hypothesis offered a significant challenge to such models, implying not only primary access to carcasses, but also the social organisation necessary to drive mammoth herds and calmly butcher them. Throughout the 1990s, it became accepted that specialised hunting was a developed Nean- derthal adaptation; they did not simply take animals in proportion to their availability, but deliberately targeted particular species at particular times—and indeed, scavenged at others. Hunting behaviour appears to have intensified from MIS 7 onwards in north-western Europe; cutmarks became increasingly common, potentially reflecting changing processing practices (Gamble 1999: 237). Numbers of species within faunal assemblages decrease (usually 2–3, with more monospecific assemblages; Gaudzinski & Turner 1996; Patou- Mathis 2000). These changes are arguably linked to increasingly logistical approaches; for example, the deliberate targeting of places for particular activities, such as raw material procurement or the hunting of specific prey. Examples of monospecific prey selection become widely apparent during the later Middle Palaeolithic (at least MIS 5d onwards), often associated with strategic hunting at specific points in the landscape (White et al. in prep; see also Speth 2012). Monospecific faunal accumulations (often bovids; Gaudzinski 1996) are known from situations where the landscape may have formed a topographic trap; bison trapped against a low cliff C Antiquity Publications Ltd.

26 tMua MS54 Farizy 5/4; (MIS Mauran at ersn neapeo ih osrcin loigefcieepotto fchallenging, of exploitation effective might landscape allowing of environments. construction, use dynamic niche strategic signatures of the settlement of example with long-term combined an landscape transport) represent of the structured lithic combination a between and The commanding interface use valley. Plateau, fire the the dead-end (including Jersey at is single, the system a constant and cave and Gulf only and gullies Malo The ravine St site. sheltered the the a of itself; at plains site signatures the archaeological of can the model structure explain behavioural time while or to of strategy change span expected hunting vast climate be single the extreme no Given involved, region. of variation the challenges environmental in and presence adaptive punctuated, the mammoths if driving meeting long-term, not a was was maintaining it Cotte La headland, as at accepted a achievement if Neanderthal over Even the interpretation. signature, of kill matter mass a a is simply episodes heaps behavioural bone they discrete whether The occupation; two significance. Neanderthal represent wider of sequence its extensive to an us within features blinded two has represent heaps bone the however, on plain; river focus Channel past southern the of Neanderthals the amongst changes targeted behavioural the but game, climate. acquire changing to to site The response the where cooling. in heap, use with varied bone to concomitant species 3 continued species Neanderthals layer changing that the reflect is and the might suggestion A example, mammoth, layer achieved For by between replaced change. be (1986b) is climate Scott might it by to resolution noted hunters horse the finer Neanderthal in as the even decline such of abandonment, signatures, responses and climatic behavioural and deposition in behaviour loess changing of of occupation the analysis rhythm of details closer finer a the out With tease history. help may activity carnivore used—and other rarely could was and locale, site altogether. hunting the abandoned not excellent been times but have an At to long-term, commanding appears Neanderthals. to strategically, it by relates times used 5), site been as and the have (such A of simply Cotte layers La occupation from from continuous, material material the necessarily of of of majority accumulations interpretation the dense Our that the landscape. suggest shelter assemblages dissected affording faunal itself, structured, and site a lithic the over is views factor commanding behavioural constant variable and The expect groups. should Neanderthal we which from in responses change environmental profound of period a subsistence logistical, alongside and developed settlement that in life changes Neanderthal identify of & to behaviour. to aspects Gaudzinski possible expected social 5e; be be and (MIS should not Salzgitter- technological location It should ambush at isolation. timescales, an evolutionary in reindeer-hunting as on occur of advances, narrows These Evidence valley 2000). tunnel 2000). behind Roebroeks a from Burke where using ambushed reindeer, 3; point male and the adult (MIS prime-aged canyon specialisation—targeting cliff further box suggests the a Lebenstedt in into bend driven Jaubert apparently a 5e; were (MIS equids Borde La Crimea, at aurochs and 1998) ocnld,L ot eS rld rvdsafclpitfo hc ecninfer can we which from point focal a provides Brelade St de Cotte La conclude, To material raw use—immediate and transport material raw of examination detailed More BP; k 238–40 spanning occupation of record long its on rests Cotte La of view new Our tal. et 94,bvd tCuolu MS6 Brugal 6; (MIS Coudoulous at bovids 1994), ec Scott Beccy 27 tal. et tal. et 90.A trsl ntewestern the in Starosele At 1990).  C niut ulctosLtd. Publications Antiquity tal. et

Research A new view from La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey

Acknowledgements Grateful thanks are extended to , the Societ´ e´ Jersiaise, the States of Jersey Department of Planning and Environment, and Jersey Digimap; to the NERC, AHOB 3 and CAHO for excavation funding. BS’s contribution forms part of the AHOB 3 and ‘Pathways to Ancient Britain’ projects, funded by the Leverhulme Trust and the Calleva Foundation. GS was funded by the QRA. We also thank Lucy Bolton, James Cole, Sam Griffiths, Andy Needham, Dave Underhill, Karen Ruebens and Rebecca Wragg-Sykes.

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