A “hyena event” at the Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition? Preliminary results from South-West of France
Résumé
The cave hyena (Crocuta crocuta spelaea) has been the subject of a variety of investigations, but paleoecological studies constitute a minority of those. Concerning its paleodemography, several authors have observed an increase in the frequency of hyena sites at the latter part of the Oxygen Isotopic Stage 3, from 45 to 30 kyr cal BP. Based solely on empirical observations, this study evaluates, for the first time, this hypothesis of a “hyena event” with data from southwestern France. A database, composed of 83 assemblages that contain at least one remain of Crocuta crocuta spelaea, was compiled. These assemblages were classified (dens, feeding sites, presence sites) and their chronology reassessed on the basis of a critical review of the available data (absolute dates, biochronology). The chronological distribution of hyena sites supports previous observations on the existence of a “hyena event”. Of the many possible explanations, an increase in ungulate biomass seems likely but lacks clear empirical proof. Also, it is still unclear if this event can be linked to human influences. This abundance of hyena sites during the latter part of OIS 3 does not necessarily reflect an actual increase in hyena population numbers. However, archaeologists may be interested in knowing that these first results show an abundance of the cave hyena at a critical time in human history.