From teeth to seasons: Integrated analysis on ungulate game applied to two late Neanderthals’ contexts in the Italian Alps

Abstract

Human-environment interactions and spatio-temporal organization of the activities are of prime importance to decipher Paleolithic way of life. To address this topic, ungulates teeth offer a valuable tool to understand seasonality and extent of site occupation. In this paper, we present the results of the integrated application of two methodologies, dental wear analyses and cementochronology, to molars from cervids (Capreolus capreolus, Cervus elaphus and Megaloceros giganteus) exploited by the Neanderthal groups at Fumane Cave, in the Italian eastern Alps. By focusing on the diet-related meso- and microwear patterns on the teeth's occlusal surface and comparing them with samples from extant ungulates, dental wear analyses characterized the main exploited taxa as browser. This finding carries significant implications for understanding both the paleoenvironmental conditions of the area and Neanderthal subsistence strategy. Notably, the results align with the idea that the Italian peninsula served as a refugium during particularly harsh climatic periods. Moreover, the microwear signal yielded promising results in determining the duration of site occupation and cementum analysis sheds light on seasonality of the human frequentation. These findings shed light on the complexity of animal resource management practiced by Neanderthal groups, highlighting the varied strategies they employed to exploit different taxa. Furthermore, the present study served as a crucial testing ground to assess the reliability of a new multi-proxies technique that integrates tooth wear analyses and cementochronology. Combining cementochronology and dental wear analysis enhances data resolution by integrating two complementary approaches. Cementochronology allows us to determine the exact season of death, which is often challenging to ascertain solely from microwear analysis – especially when the variability in microwear signals is low. On the other hand, dental wear analysis provides insights both into the functional aspects of teeth over time and into the duration of the mortality event (i.e. the hunting event in anthropogenic contexts). This combined approach allowed us to double-check and validate the results and obtain higher resolution data, overcoming potential gaps in information that may arise from relying on a single technique.