Integrating ZooMS and taphonomy further highlights differential processing of animal and Neandertal carcasses in the Quina Mousterian at Les Pradelles (Marillac-le-Franc, southwest France)

Abstract

The cave of Les Pradelles (Marillac-le-Franc, France) was repeatedly visited by Neandertals ~55 000 years ago and is a key site in discussions of Neandertal cannibalism. Excavations between 1967 and 1980 (Vandermeersch) and between 2001 and 2013 (Maureille/Mann) produced a rich faunal assemblage (>20 000 bones), alongside Quina Mousterian tools. Here, we provide a combined study of both collections integrating ZooMS (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry) and taphonomic analyses on morphologically unidentifiable bones (Vandermeersch [n = 762] and Maureille/Mann [n = 377]). Our results indicate excellent collagen preservation (99.2% identification rate) and consistent glutamine deamidation. While we note an increased representation of bovids and equids in the trabecular fraction, our results confirm Les Pradelles as a reindeer hunting camp. Differences in the fragmentation of Neandertal and reindeer carcasses are illustrated by the relatively low number of ZooMS-identified Neandertal bones (n = 5). We show that Neandertal processing was marginal compared to reindeer, but human bodies were processed on multiple occasions across the Quina Mousterian lithofacies. Abundant retouchers (n = 23) and anthropogenic bone surface modifications (25%) were observed on the ZooMS-identified fauna, but not on the newly identified Neandertal remains. We show the value of integrating ZooMS, taphonomic and zooarchaeological data to revisit curated collections.