Title :

Taphonomic analysis of Pleistocene small vertebrate assemblages: case studies from northern France (Abbeville & Mutzig)

Author(s) :

Stoetzel, Emmanuelle [Auteur]
Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique [HNHP]
Marie-Hélène, Moncel [Auteur]
Histoire naturelle de l'Homme préhistorique [HNHP]
Antoine, Pierre [Auteur]
Laboratoire de géographie physique : Environnements Quaternaires et Actuels [LGP]
Koehler, Héloïse [Auteur]
Archéologie d'Alsace
Archéologies et Sciences de l'Antiquité [ArScAn]
Sévêque, Noémie [Auteur]
Histoire, Archéologie et Littérature des Mondes Anciens - UMR 8164 [HALMA]
Géosystèmes - UMR 8217
Auguste, Patrick [Auteur]
Géosystèmes - UMR 8217

Conference title :

12th Congress of the International Council for Archaeozoology (ICAZ)

City :

San Rafael

Country :

Argentine

Start date of the conference :

2014-09-22

HAL domain(s) :

Sciences de l'Homme et Société/Archéologie et Préhistoire

English abstract : [en]

Small vertebrate remains found in archaeological context are of particular interest as they bring precise information on the palaeoenvironmental context of human occupations. However a taphonomic analysis of the fossil ...
Show more >Small vertebrate remains found in archaeological context are of particular interest as they bring precise information on the palaeoenvironmental context of human occupations. However a taphonomic analysis of the fossil assemblages is necessary to get information on the origin of the accumulations and the deposits formation, as well as on possible biases of anatomical and/or faunal representation affecting the palaeoecological interpretations. In the present paper we consider two case studies from northern France, a region remaining poorly considered for small vertebrate studies. The Carpentier Quarry (Abbeville, Somme) has yielded Middle Pleistocene occupations attributed to Homo heidelbergensis (~600 ka BP), while Mützig (Alsace) is a Late Pleistocene site having been occupied by Neanderthals (~90 ka BP). We do not discuss here the chronological or cultural attribution of the two sites, but only the taphonomic pattern delivered by small vertebrate assemblages in order to better understand the sites formation within their own geographic and geologic contexts, including comparison with data from other disciplines (large mammals, infilling). Several differences emerge between the two sites, as well as within each site, highlighting post-depositional perturbations in some levels. In these levels we thus should be cautious about palaeoenvironmental conclusions deduced directly from the faunal lists, and suggest detailed comparison between data provided by small vertebrates with other disciplines for greater reliability.Show less >

Language :

Anglais

Peer reviewed article :

Oui

Audience :

Internationale

Popular science :

Non

Collections :

• Histoire Archéologie Littératures des Mondes Anciens (HALMA) - UMR 8164

Source :

Harvested from HAL