Rabbit remains analysis in the Upper Paleolithic in Portugal

Summary

Ongoing excavations and research at the cave site of Lapa do Picareiro in the Estremadura region of Portugal have recovered a large number of faunal remains, including thousands of rabbit bones. These remains have yielded new data and insight on human exploitation of small prey during the Upper Paleolithic. This poster focuses on the spatial and temporal distribution of rabbit remains within the cave and the taphonomic processes acting on these bones. The work builds upon previous research using new data recovered during recent excavations at the site. Rabbit faunal data are then compared with data from other regional Upper Paleolithic sites. Taphonomic analyses show that they are the products of cultural deposition. Despite lack of cut marks on the bones, other factors such as skeletal part representation and breakage patterns are used to differentiate human from non-human predation in the deposition of prey remains. This work explores new information on the human use of animal resources at Lapa do Picareiro during the Upper Paleolithic. The interpretations and conclusions of this data emphasize the importance of the Estremadura in Portugal as a region of significance in human adaptation during the Upper Paleolithic.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage