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.