Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 45(special issue) 2002
Issue:
VOL 45(special issue) 2002
Keywords:
Italy, Final Epigravettian, Anseriformes, taphonomy, butchering
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Exploitation of Anseriformes at two Upper Palaeolithic sites in Southern Italy: Grotta Romanelli (Lecce, Apulia) and Grotta del Santuario della Madonna a Praia a Mare (Cosenza, Calabria)
Abstract:
In this paper the results of an analysis of bone surfaces of Anseriformes from the Epigravettian levels of Grotta Romanelli (“Terre brune” formation, levels A-E), are compared with new data from the level “L” of Grotta della Madonna. A large number of bird remains were found in these two caves: over 32,000 specimens (3,650 individuals) belonging to 109 species from Grotta Romanelli and over 7,400 bones (still under investigation) from Grotta della Madonna. In both sites many species from aquatic environments are present, mainly Anseriformes. However, at Grotta della Madonna there is a prevalence of duck species, that lived in the large delta. Among these Mallard Anas platyrhynchos, Pochard Aythya ferina and Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula are dominant. At Grotta Romanelli the coastal plain had abundant marshy areas, where geese were frequent (White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons, Bean Goose Anser fabalis and Brent Goose Branta bernicla). Despite the different composition of the two bird assemblages, there are similarities in the human traces left on the bones. A thorough analysis of all the bones of Anseriformes was carried out with an optical microscope. This was done so as to identify the precise location and character of the butchery marks. This, together with the analysis of burning traces, allowed the identification of analogous butchery strategies and cooking patterns for Anseriformes at both sites. Modifications on bone surfaces are particularly frequent on the humerus and coracoid. The breakage of many furculae of different species is probably the result of human activity, and is similar in the two sites.
