Hunting, butchering, carrying and sharing

along the Gran Dolina sequence

The ancient origin of the modern subsistence dynamics

RODRÍGUEZ-HIDALGO, SALADIÉ, ARSUAGA, BERMÚDEZ DE CASTRO & CARBONELL

Gradual Evolution from

obligate scavengers…

…to AMH as Top of the

Evolutionary Process as

Prominent Hunters

Figure from Espigares et al. 2013 QI

Sorry Sir, I'm skillful

hunter and wooden-

spear maker

Yes, my

friend and me

too!

OMG,

TALKING

MONKEYS!!!

Stasis Punctuated by

Change?

Gran Dolina

TD6.2

TD10.2 bison bone bed

TD10.1bone bed

Upper

TD10.1 NR 1770

NR 24216

NR 6994

NR 4411

Location

Residential base

Kill Site

Residential base

Ungulates79%

Primate15%

Carnivores6%

Ungulates99%

Carnivores0,5% Mesofauna

0,6%

Ungulates99%

Carnivores0,2%

Mesofauna1,1%

Ungulates77%

Carnivores5%

Mesofauna18%

TD6.2

TD10.2

TD10.1

Up. TD10.1

(Saladié et al. 2011)

TD6.2

(Rodríguez.-Hidalgo 2015)

TD10.1

(Blasco et al. 2013)

Up. TD10.1

General strategies

STALKING

AMBUSHING

Specific strategies

COMMUNAL DRIVE

INTERGRUPAL VIOLENCE

a) More Cut marks in Shafts

b) More Cut marks in Meaty Limbs

Experimental Early Access

++

+

-

-

-

=

c) More Cut marks in Limb Bones

a) Cut marks on Shafts > 70%

c) Cut marks on Limb Bones >30%

b) Cut marks on Meaty Limbs >70%

76-97%

30-47%

41-61%

2-18%

20-66%

Gran Dolina Early Access

Slicing marks > 81-96%

Massive breakage of long bones

Intensive processing of the carcasses

Complete chaîne opératoire: Skinning,

evisceration, dismembering, defleshing,

disarticulation

Overlapping of Cutmarks and Tooth marks

always primary access of hominins

Gran Dolina Early Access

Systematic processing of the carcasses

Layers with Input of Materials (referential or logistical)

The same skeletal profile for every weight of size

Overlapping of diverse transport strategies

Dominance of axial elements (skull and trunks)

Preferential transport of high marrow yield elements

Layer with Output of Materials (kill site)

Cooperative Work for

Transport

Partial or Integral Transport of

Carcasses of >150 individuals from the

Kill Sites to Camps

Deferred Consumption Meat Sharing

Are the 4 layers identical?Important differences from a zooarcheological and

taphonomical point of view

Mainly related with the time and nature of the occupations

Gradual or Punctuated?

Early emergence of…

Hunting

Large UngulatesCooperation

Modern

Butchering

Deferred

ConsumptionPrime-adults Sharing

…and Stasis

Many thanks toESHE Society

Atapuerca Research Team

Pictures and PhotosKennis & Kennis

Javier Trueba

Mauricio Antón

Stanley Kubrick

Brian Fray

M. Coutureau

thenounproject.com