Human diet and ecology during Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in Portuguese estremadura: the case from Lapa do Picareiro

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F49777513%3A23330%2F24%3A43973973" target="_blank" >RIV/49777513:23330/24:43973973 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

—

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

—

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Human diet and ecology during Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in Portuguese estremadura: the case from Lapa do Picareiro

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

It used to be that differences in diet between Neanderthals and modern humans were hypothesized as a contributing factor to the disappearance of Neanderthals and success of colonizing modern humans during the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in Eurasia. In the last several decades, however, research has shown that diets that included small game such as rabbits, birds and tortoises were in fact a behavior observed in the Homo lineage as early as 400,000 ago [1], and not a behavior typical of modern humans only. One region with a limited Paleolithic archaeological record that does contain evidence of wider diet breadth (smallgame consumption) among Neanderthals is in central Portugal, where zooarchaeological evidence from a handful of sites dating from MIS 5 - MIS 3 suggest that Neanderthals were highly mobile, exploited coastal, estuarine, and mountainous environments, and consumed a variety of prey including marine resources (fish, crab, mollusks) tortoises, and rabbits in addition to large game [2-4]. For example, at Figueira Brava, evidence of fishing and exploitation of marine resources such as crab by Neanderthals had been observed [2] . At Gruta Nova da Columbeira, Neanderthals not only ate rabbits, but consumed marrow from long bones, particularly tibiae [3] . Though the record is fragmented and limited, this points to an ecologically plastic population of Neanderthals in central Portugal during MIS 5-3 who may have been experts at exploiting their environments. Little is known, however, about the first Upper Paleolithic human diets in central Portugal, where an early Aurignacian presence has recently been identified at Lapa do Picareiro [5] . In this poster, we present new data on human diets from late Mousterian and early Aurignacian deposits from Lapa do Picareiro, a cave site located in Portuguese Estremadura. Lapa do Picareiro has large zooarchaeological assemblages, stratigraphic integrity, chronological control, and several paleoenvironmental reconstructions making rendering it an ideal site to assess diets and human behavior during the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition. Through taphonomic and zooarchaeological analyses, we teaseout the taphonomic agents responsible for depositing the bones that formed the assemblages in levels JJ (Mousterian) and GG-II (early Aurignacian). We then assess whether: Neanderthals and modern humans consumed small game at this site? Are there differences or continuity in the way that Neanderthals and modern humans exploited the surrounding landscape? Does the pattern observed in Neanderthal behavior in Central Portugal hold at Lapa do Picareiro? This research will build upon the understanding of a regional picture of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in westernmost Iberia, and by extension, the Iberian Peninsula.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Human diet and ecology during Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in Portuguese estremadura: the case from Lapa do Picareiro

Popis výsledku anglicky

It used to be that differences in diet between Neanderthals and modern humans were hypothesized as a contributing factor to the disappearance of Neanderthals and success of colonizing modern humans during the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in Eurasia. In the last several decades, however, research has shown that diets that included small game such as rabbits, birds and tortoises were in fact a behavior observed in the Homo lineage as early as 400,000 ago [1], and not a behavior typical of modern humans only. One region with a limited Paleolithic archaeological record that does contain evidence of wider diet breadth (smallgame consumption) among Neanderthals is in central Portugal, where zooarchaeological evidence from a handful of sites dating from MIS 5 - MIS 3 suggest that Neanderthals were highly mobile, exploited coastal, estuarine, and mountainous environments, and consumed a variety of prey including marine resources (fish, crab, mollusks) tortoises, and rabbits in addition to large game [2-4]. For example, at Figueira Brava, evidence of fishing and exploitation of marine resources such as crab by Neanderthals had been observed [2] . At Gruta Nova da Columbeira, Neanderthals not only ate rabbits, but consumed marrow from long bones, particularly tibiae [3] . Though the record is fragmented and limited, this points to an ecologically plastic population of Neanderthals in central Portugal during MIS 5-3 who may have been experts at exploiting their environments. Little is known, however, about the first Upper Paleolithic human diets in central Portugal, where an early Aurignacian presence has recently been identified at Lapa do Picareiro [5] . In this poster, we present new data on human diets from late Mousterian and early Aurignacian deposits from Lapa do Picareiro, a cave site located in Portuguese Estremadura. Lapa do Picareiro has large zooarchaeological assemblages, stratigraphic integrity, chronological control, and several paleoenvironmental reconstructions making rendering it an ideal site to assess diets and human behavior during the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition. Through taphonomic and zooarchaeological analyses, we teaseout the taphonomic agents responsible for depositing the bones that formed the assemblages in levels JJ (Mousterian) and GG-II (early Aurignacian). We then assess whether: Neanderthals and modern humans consumed small game at this site? Are there differences or continuity in the way that Neanderthals and modern humans exploited the surrounding landscape? Does the pattern observed in Neanderthal behavior in Central Portugal hold at Lapa do Picareiro? This research will build upon the understanding of a regional picture of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in westernmost Iberia, and by extension, the Iberian Peninsula.

Druh

O - Ostatní výsledky

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

60102 - Archaeology

Projekt

—

Návaznosti

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Rok uplatnění

2024

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů