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(Panthera Leo Fossilis) at the Gran Dolina Site, Sierra De Atapuerca, Spain

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(Panthera Leo Fossilis) at the Gran Dolina Site, Sierra De Atapuerca, Spain Journal of Archaeological Science 37 (2010) 2051e2060 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Archaeological Science journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jas The hunted hunter: the capture of a lion (Panthera leo fossilis) at the Gran Dolina site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain Ruth Blasco a,*, Jordi Rosell a, Juan Luis Arsuaga b,c, José M. Bermúdez de Castro d, Eudald Carbonell a,e a IPHES (Institut català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social), Unidad Asociada al CSIC, Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Plaça Imperial Tarraco, 1, 43005 Tarragona, Spain b Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain c Centro de Investigación (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, C/Sinesio Delgado, 4 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain d CENIEH (Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre Evolución Humana), Avenida de la Paz 28, 09004 Burgos, Spain e Visiting professor, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of Beijing (IVPP) article info abstract Article history: Many Pleistocene caves and rock shelters contain evidence of carnivore and human activities. For this Received 22 December 2009 reason, it is common to recover at these sites faunal remains left by both biological agents. In order to Received in revised form explain the role that carnivores play at the archaeological sites it is necessary to analyse several elements, 15 March 2010 such as the taxonomical and skeletal representation, the age profiles, the ratio of NISP to MNI, the Accepted 17 March 2010 anthropogenic processing marks on the carcasses (location and purpose of cutmarks and burning and bone breakage patterns), carnivore damage (digested bones, location and frequencies of toothmarks and bone Keywords: breakage), length of the long bones, frequencies of coprolites and vertical distribution of the faunal Subsistence strategies Hunting remains, inter alia. From this, the documentation of carnivores in a faunal assemblage with a clear Carnivore use anthropogenic component can be understood from three main phenomena: (1) the carnivores as accu- Panthera leo fossilis mulators and the use of the site as a den; (2) carnivores as scavengers of hominid refuse and; (3) carnivores Gran Dolina as hominids’ prey. Of these three phenomena, the last one is the least documented at the Middle Pleis- Sierra de Atapuerca tocene sites. From this perspective, here we present the case of the anthropogenic use of a lion (Panthera Middle Pleistocene leo fossilis) from level TD10-1 of Gran Dolina (MIS 9, Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain). The lion bone remains show signs of direct interaction between this big cat and human groups that occupied Gran Dolina in these chronologies. From this perspective, the aim of this paper is to contribute to the knowledge of the role developed by large carnivores in the anthropogenic contexts and to provide data on human use of these predators at the European Middle Pleistocene sites. Ó 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction alia). However, we must bear in mind that not all carnivores behave in a similar way or have the same impact on the carcasses. Each species The archaeological excavations carried out at the Middle Pleisto- has its own ethology and physical characteristics, which influence the cene sites show the occupation of karstic areas by hominids and accumulations that they produce and the intensity with which they carnivores. For this reason, the recovery of faunal remains left by both act on bone remains. Even so, a series of general characteristics are biological entities is common at these sites (both the bones left identified in all assemblage generated by non-human predators. In behind from their activities and/or their own skeletal remains). Many general, the age profiles of the prey tend to be attritional (with a carnivores regularly use caves as a breeding place or as a refuge. There predominance of young and senile individuals over adults). The are several studies that allow us to recognise both current and skeletal representation of the prey is highly variable with a domi- archaeological dens (Sutcliffe, 1970; Haynes, 1980, 1983a; Hill, 1984; nance of limb bones (except for carpal and tarsal bones which can be Blumenschine, 1985, 1986a, 1988a, 1988b; Clot, 1987; Cruz-Uribe, swallowed during the consumption process) and some elements of 1991; Domínguez-Rodrigo, 1994, 2001; Selvaggio, 1994; Fosse, the axial and cranial skeleton (Binford, 1981). The proportion 1996; Villa and Soressi, 2000; Villa et al., 2004; Michel, 2005; inter between the cranialepostcranial skeleton of the prey decreases according to the accumulating carnivore and to the size of the ungulates, so the larger the prey, the lower the capacity of the carnivore to transport the skull (Cruz-Uribe, 1991). Furthermore, * Corresponding author. Tel.: þ34 977 257 882; fax: þ34 977559597. E-mail address: [email protected] (R. Blasco). coprolites, skeletal remains belonging to other carnivores, deciduous 0305-4403/$ e see front matter Ó 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2010.03.010 2052 R. Blasco et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 37 (2010) 2051e2060 teeth (in the case of hyena maternity dens) and digested bones are elements of the axial skeleton. The modifications on these often retrieved at these assemblages (Cruz-Uribe, 1991; Villa et al., anatomical portions are so intense that in many cases they make 2004; inter alia). Some authors, such as Fosse (1994) or Villa et al. them disappear. On the contrary, the diaphyses, which are generally (2004), also observed differences related to the bone fragmentation highly fractured during the processing and anthropic consumption, between the carnivore sites and anthropogenic sites. According to show very little impact. This duality is due to the fact that bones these authors, the bones recovered in the assemblages generated by with a high content of spongy tissue (epiphyses and flat bones) carnivores usually are less fragmented and, therefore, the propor- contain resources (fat), which are difficult to reach for the hominids tions of identifiable elements are much higher. without the appropriate technology, such as boiling (Oliver, 1993). However, the carnivores are not only accumulators. The smells However, during this process, carnivores do not only destroy the from the remains left in the human camps are attractive for many bones, but they can also affect the original position of the remains, predators and, therefore, it is common for these carnivores to act as by carrying out important remobilisations and significantly altering scavengers in search of potentially consumable elements (Binford, the spatial distribution left by human groups (Binford et al., 1988). 1981). Different observations and experimental reproductions Nevertheless, the presence of carnivores and their damage in have been made with wild and captive animals, attempting to the anthropogenic context, do not only respond to the scavenging document the carnivore damage on the faunal assemblages gener- activities or to the use of the site as den. Carnivores can also be ated by human groups (Sutcliffe, 1970; Klein, 1975; Bunn, 1986; a potential prey for human groups because they can offer a series of Bunn et al., 1980; Bunn et al., 1988; Blumenschine, 1986a, 1986b; usable resources (skin, tendons, meat, marrow, etc.). As with Marean et al., 1992). All of these studies coincide with the fact that the herbivores, the processing of the carnivores is identified by the scavengers have a predilection for epiphyses of limb bones and for presence of cutmarks, the intentional bone breakage and/or the Fig. 1. Location, composite stratigraphic profile of deposits and levels dating at the Gran Dolina site from Parés and Pérez-González (1999), Falguères et al. (1999) and Berger et al. (2008). R. Blasco et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 37 (2010) 2051e2060 2053 burning patterns of their remains. Although archaeological exam- during impact events. Percussion notches are semicircular shaped ples exist in some assemblages of the first half of the Upper Pleis- indentations on fracture edges with corresponding negative flake tocene (Auguste, 1991,1995; Stiner, 1994; Arribas et al., 1997; David, scars. Impact flakes refer to shaft fragments produced by hammer- 1997; Tillet, 2002), the use of these animals is not common at the stone percussion that display the same basic technical attributes of Middle Pleistocene sites, especially in the case of large carnivores. percussion as it occurs on stone flakes. From this perspective, we present here the case of the anthropo- The carnivore toothmarks identified on bone remains in the genic utilization of a lion from level TD10-1 of Gran Dolina (Sierra sample of TD10-1 were mainly pits, punctures and scores (Haynes, de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain). The bone remains belonging to Pan- 1980, 1983b; Binford, 1981; Stiner, 1994; Blumenschine, 1995; inter thera leo fossilis show signs of direct interaction between human alia). Pits consist of superficial marks lacking a long axis, and groups and big cats from these chronologies. From this perspective, punctures are deep pits that penetrate deeply through the cortical the aim of this paper is to provide data on human use of these bone or along the edges of an intact or broken bone. Scores are predators in the European Middle Pleistocene. surface marks with a longitudinal axis more than four times the perpendicular axis. Regarding the breakage, crenulated edges are 2. Methodology mainly observed. These present small negative scars on the fracture and longitudinal breakages. Level TD10-1 faunal analysis of the Gran Dolina site was carried out following standard archaeozoological methods (Lyman, 1994; 3. Level TD10-1 at the Gran Dolina site Reitz and Wing, 1999) and includes all fossil material from 2000 to fi 2001 excavations. Anatomical, taxonomic and modi cation details The Gran Dolina site is one of the many caves located in the were recorded. To assess completeness of the sample, NISP (Number karstic complex of the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos).
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