Tag Archives: chasse

Varia

2009-VARIA–COSTAMAGNO-ET-ALII

MAN OR CARNIVORES?
STUDY PROTOCOL OF MIXED BONE ASSEMBLAGES:

the Example of Les Pradelles mousterian Site
(Marillac-le-Franc, Charente, France)

Sandrine COSTAMAGNO, Cédric BEAUVAL, Brigitte LANGE-BADRÉ,
Bernard VANDERMEERSCH, Alan MANN, Bruno MAUREILLE

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Abstract

In many archaeological assemblages, the presence of traces made by humans and made by carnivores on faunal assemblages raises the question of the respective roles played by these two agents in the accumulation and modification of the bones. This article presents a critical review of the different criteria taken into consideration in distinguishing between hunting and scavenging by men and by carnivores. The Mousterian site of Les Pradelles is analysed on the basis of this synthesis. From this study, it emerges that the anthropic impact on bones decreases from the base to the summit of the stratigraphical sequence, lower levels corresponding to sites of habitat (in a very broad sense) and upper levels corresponding to carnivore dens. In the lower sequence, the capacity of Neandertals to hunt all sizes of ungulates is clearly demonstrated. This study also shows the necessity of diversifying actualistic approaches in order to document the complexity of archaeological deposits. Finally, it indicates that the refitting method recommended by C. W. Marean (Bartram, Marean, 1999; Marean, 1998; Marean, Kim, 1998) for the determination of shaft fragments is not always necessary for the distinction between hunting and scavenging in assemblages of bones extensively ravaged by carnivores, the determination of shaft fragments using morphological criteria being, in most cases, largely sufficient.

To cite this article

Costamagno S., Beauval C., Lange-Badré B., Vandermeersch B., Mann A., Maureille B., 2009 – Man or Carnivores? Study Protocol of Mixed Bone Assemblages:the Example of Les Pradelles mousterian Site (Marillac-le-Franc, Charente, France), P@lethnology, Varia, 361-387.
2009 # 1

2009-06–CHESNAUX

Sauveterrian microliths:

Evidence of the Hunting Weapons
of the Last Hunter-gatherers of the Northern Alps

Lorène CHESNAUX

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Abstract

In this paper, I present interpretations of the stigmata of fabrication (observation of retouch methods) and use (observation of impact traces and hafting glue residues) of microliths and hyper-microliths (arrowheads) of the Middle Mesolithic Sauveterrian period. Based on the first results obtained from the sites of Grande Rivoire, Pas de la Charmate (Vercors, Isère) and Sinard (Trièves, Isère), a reconstruction of the hafting modes of these tools is proposed. The results of a first experimental test are also presented.

To cite this article

Chesnaux L., 2009 – Sauveterrian Microliths: Evidence of the Hunting Weapons of the last Hunter-gatherers of the Northern Alps, in Pétillon J.-M., Dias-Meirinho M.-H., Cattelain P., Honegger M., Normand C., Valdeyron N., Projectile Weapon Elements from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Neolithic, Proceedings of session C83, XVth UISPP World Congress, Lisbon, September 4-9, 2006, P@lethnology, 1, 133-146.