TY - JOUR

T1 - Using ZooMS to assess archaeozoological insights and unravel human subsistence behaviour at La Viña rock shelter (northern Iberia)

AU - Torres-iglesias, Leire

AU - Marín-Arroyo, Ana B.

AU - Welker, Frido

AU - de la Rasilla, Marco

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - The highly fragmented nature of Palaeolithic faunal assemblages is a regular limitation in archaeozoological analyses as it prevents a precise taxonomic identification following comparative anatomy criteria. In this paper, we integrate Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) analysis of unidentifiable bone fragments within archaeozoological and taphonomic data to overcome this limitation and disentangle the subsistence strategies of Solutrean and Magdalenian human groups of the La Viña rock shelter (northern Iberia). The ZooMS results are consistent with the archaeozoological data showing preferential exploitation of red deer complemented by horses and caprids, whereas large bovids and reindeer are a minor component. This study also reveals significant species variability in classifying unidentifiable bones to mammal-size classes. The combination of biomolecular methods and traditional archaeozoology and taphonomy provides a higher resolution of faunal diversity in Palaeolithic assemblages and hominin subsistence behaviour related to carcass transport and seasonality.

AB - The highly fragmented nature of Palaeolithic faunal assemblages is a regular limitation in archaeozoological analyses as it prevents a precise taxonomic identification following comparative anatomy criteria. In this paper, we integrate Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) analysis of unidentifiable bone fragments within archaeozoological and taphonomic data to overcome this limitation and disentangle the subsistence strategies of Solutrean and Magdalenian human groups of the La Viña rock shelter (northern Iberia). The ZooMS results are consistent with the archaeozoological data showing preferential exploitation of red deer complemented by horses and caprids, whereas large bovids and reindeer are a minor component. This study also reveals significant species variability in classifying unidentifiable bones to mammal-size classes. The combination of biomolecular methods and traditional archaeozoology and taphonomy provides a higher resolution of faunal diversity in Palaeolithic assemblages and hominin subsistence behaviour related to carcass transport and seasonality.

U2 - 10.1016/j.jas.2023.105904

DO - 10.1016/j.jas.2023.105904

M3 - Journal article

VL - 161

JO - Journal of Archaeological Science

JF - Journal of Archaeological Science

SN - 0305-4403

M1 - 105904

ER -