Unravelling the Taphonomic Stories of Bird Bones from the Middle Pleistocene Layer VIII of Grotte Vaufrey, France
Résumé
In recent years, several studies have significantly changed our knowledge concerning
the use of birds by Neanderthals. However, what remains to be clarified is the geographical and
chronological variability of this human behaviour. The present case study provides new information
on this topic/debate. The Grotte Vaufrey was discovered during the 1930s and was excavated during
different periods. Work carried out by J.-P. Rigaud during the 1980s motivated many multidisciplinary
studies in the cave, but accurate studies were not focused on avian remains. In this work, we provide
new data on the bird remains from layer VIII (MIS 7), which is the richest among all the sequences
and which has an important Mousterian component. Corvids are predominant in the assemblage
and are associated with medium-sized birds and small Passeriformes, among others. Most of
the remains present modern fractures, which hinder taphonomic interpretation. However, some
alterations associated with raptor or mammalian carnivore activities, together with the anatomical
representation and age profile, suggest a non-human accumulation of the majority of the bird remains,
especially in the case of corvids that naturally died in the cave. However, at least some bones show
evidence of anthropic activity, suggesting the occasional use of large- and medium-sized birds by
human populations.
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