Baales 2021 – Tracking the Reindeer: The Upper and Final Pleistocene Record of Reindeer in the Northern Uplands and its Seasonal Implications – Tandem-Festschrift in Honour of Elaine Turner and Martin Street (original) (raw)
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This paper presents a study of the reindeer hunting seasons represented in Magdalenian occupations (levels 25 & 27) at the site of La Madeleine where this game comprises between 87 and 95% of the identified remains. The method of reindeer hunting season estimations based on the analysis of archaeological antlers, cheek teeth and fetal long-bone diaphyses underlines that the combined use of antlers, teeth, and fetal bones is indispensable for determining all four seasons. It also shows that summer and winter hunts are the most difficult to identify and may go unnoticed in small or poorly preserved samples, and those without fetal long-bone diaphyses (for winter). The hunting seasons identified, deducted from the minimum number of identified moments, are similar for levels 25 (Upper Magdalenian) and 27 (Middle Magdalenian), providing evidence of reindeer hunting throughout the year, during all four seasons. These results confirm those of four other sites, all of which are located in the same area at distances between 2 and 60 km from La Madeleine, while they strongly contrast those of every other currently well documented region (Paris Basin, Massif Central, Aude Basin). This suggests that if these data reflect the reality of non-migrating reindeer, rather than a high instability of seasonal ranges, at least between 30,000 and 15,000 cal BP, this phenomenon is related to a specific area, temporarily bordered by the Dronne and the Vézère valleys. The author discusses the assumption that this zone (still to be delineated), with an Atlantic climate in the Mammoth Steppe biome, at least during the Upper Pleniglacial and Oldest Dryas, was a zone of varied landscapes where the living conditions of reindeer would have limited their mobility, perhaps up to the close foothills of the Massif Central.
Quaternary International
The Late-glacial and early Holocene periods are characterized by significant climatic and environmental changes that result in a global warming. In this context, typical glacial species such as reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) were extirpated from the southern regions of western Europe following different timing according to the geographical location. A new direct radiocarbon date was performed on a reindeer metatarsus from the Mesolithic site of Rottenburg-Siebenlinden in the Swabian Jura. The result (9225 ± 35 BP; 10,270–10,500 cal BP) confirmed the survival of this species during the early Holocene in southwestern (SW) Germany. Collagen 13C and 15N abundances (δ13Ccoll and δ15Ncoll) were measured on this Holocene reindeer and on Late-glacial reindeer from Magdalenian sites – Petersfels, Schussenquelle, Felsställe and Kesslerloch – of the same region to investigate their diet and environment. During the first part of the Late-glacial (ca. 16.6–14 ka cal BP), the δ13Ccoll values of the SW Germany reindeer were slightly lower than those found in reindeer from Stellmoor and Meiendorf sites in northern Germany, probably as a result of lower lichen consumption and higher humidity. Lower δ15Ncoll values in SW Germany reindeer compared to southwestern France could be linked to less advanced soil maturation as the inheritance of higher permafrost intensity linked to harsher climatic conditions during the Late-Glacial Maximum. In SW Germany, the early Holocene reindeer had a higher δ15Ncoll value (4‰) than those of its Late-glacial counterparts (1.2–3.3‰), which would reflect the expected increase in 15N abundances of soils and plants with higher temperature. However, relatively high δ15N values (ca. 4–5‰) were also found in the reindeer of southwestern England as early as during the Younger Dryas, the last cold stadial preceding the early Holocene. In contrast, northern and western Germany reindeer exhibited increasing δ13Ccoll values but stable δ15Ncoll values during the Younger Dryas compared to the previous Bölling/Alleröd interstadial. This could indicate a slower response in 15Ncoll than in 13Ccoll abundances of ancient reindeer to climatic changes. Finally, the reindeer of southern England and SW Germany survived the Younger Dryas/early Holocene transition in a relatively open landscape as confirmed by the δ13Ccoll values measured on coeval deer.
Baales, Michael; Birker, Susanne; Kromer, Bernd; Pollmann, Hans-Otto; Rosendahl, Wilfried & Stapel, Bernhard (2019): Megaloceros, reindeer and elk – first AMS-14C-datings on Final Palaeolithic finds from Westphalia (western Germany). In: Eriksen, Berit Valentin; Rensink, Eelco; Harris, Susan (Eds.): The Final Palaeolithic of Northern Eurasia. Proceedings of the Amersfoort, Schleswig and Burgos UISPP Commission Meetings. Kiel: Ludwig. Schriften des Museums für Archäologie Schloss Gottorf - Ergänzungsreihe 13 (Kiel) 137-154. Although the first excavations in Westphalia took place already during the second half of the 19th and early 20th century, our knowledge of the Upper and Final Palaeolithic of our region is generally poor. However, recent activities have slightly changed this situation. A so far unrecognized basal portion of a shed reindeer antler demonstrates the removal of the beam by ringing around its entire circumference and breaking off the beam. This waste product has been dated to around 12.1 kyr calBC proving the presence of reindeer in northern Westphalia during the early Greenland Interstadial 1. Of special interest are two Megaloceros (giant deer) basal antler fragments showing the same artificial features as said reindeer antler. The Megaloceros antlers were found in the northern part of Westphalia and gave similar radiocarbon results of around 11.9 kyr calBC. These finds considerably extend our knowledge of the early Federmesser-Gruppen organic artifact spectrum of Central Europe. The same applies for a large barbed bone point found in the Seseke river decades ago and which has recently been dated to the late Federmesser-Gruppen around 11 kyr calBC. This find now adds new information to the variable spectrum of barbed points manufactured by Final Palaeolithic huntergatherers. For the first time two reindeer remains from the Ahrensburgian assemblage of the Hohler Stein located in the northern uphill ranges of Westphalia have been dated demonstrating that the spring reindeer mass kills near the cave took place (at the latest) around 9900 calBC. Furthermore, new discoveries increase our knowledge of the Final Palaeolithic – Early Mesolithic transition (long blade tradition) and also of the earliest Preboreal Early Mesolithic in Westphalia.
Woerden, in the central part of The Netherlands, is a locality where the amateur-archaeologist Pieter Stoel collected several thousands of fossil mammalian remains of Pleistocene age. The stratigraphically-mixed assemblage includes a broad variety of taxa including species that are indicative of interglacial conditions such as Hippopotamus sp. as well as species that inhabited the area during glacial episodes e.g. Mammuthus primigenius and Coelodonta antiquitatis. The fossil remains have an early Middle Pleistocene – Late Pleistocene age. Rangifer tarandus is one of the species that is very well represented in the faunal assemblage from Woerden. Woerden yielded not only thousands of fossil bones but also Palaeolithic artefacts. A direct relationship between the reindeer bones and these artefacts could not be indicated. Most of the bones are complete and not a single reindeer bone or bone fragment shows traces of human interference such as clear impact or cut marks. This is remarkable considering the many European Palaeolithic sites where reindeer hunters left their traces. Detailed investigation of the reindeer remains indicates that the majority of the reindeer remains from Woerden represent one population with juvenile as well as adult individuals. The adult specimens show a female/male ratio of 2:1, which is characteristic for natural living reindeer populations. This ratio as well as the standard deviation of the size measurements suggests that the assemblage is one distinct population and not a mix of fossil assemblages with reindeer of different size and different geological ages. Further remarkable is that the dimensions of the limb bones indicate that the reindeer from Woerden were extremely slender; much more slender than the fossil Middle and Late Pleistocene reindeer assemblages from other localities in north-western and central Europe.
PLOS ONE, 2023
Baales, Michael; Heuschen, Wolfgang; Kehl, Martin; Manz, Annika; Nolde, Nadine; Riemenschneider, Daniel; Rittwege, Holger & Orschiedt, Jörg (2023): Western visitors at the Blätterhöhle (city of Hagen, southern Westphalia) during the Younger Dryas? A new final palaeolithic assemblage type in western Germany. PLOS ONE 18 (5), e0284479. Until now, it was considered certain that the last reindeer hunters of the Ahrensburgian (tanged point groups) existed exclusively in northwestern Central Europe during the Younger Dryas Cold Period (~Greenland Stadial 1). The excavations carried out since 2006 on the forecourt (Vorplatz) of the small Blätterhöhle in Hagen on the northern edge of the Sauerland uplands of southern Westphalia (North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany) have now changed this view. Beneath a surprisingly extensive sequence of Mesolithic find horizons, Pleistocene sediments could be reached whose excavations yielded a Final Palaeolithic lithic ensemble of the Younger Dryas, unusual for the region and beyond. It is characterised by numerous backed lithic projectile points of high variability. Comparisons suggest a typological-technological connection with the Western European Laborian / Late Laborian. Neither in the nearer nor in the wider surroundings has a comparable lithic find ensemble been found so far. In addition, there is a lack of clear evidence for the reindeer in the fauna. Surprisingly, the vast majority of radiocarbon dates of bones and charcoals from the investigated archaeological horizon of the Final Pleistocene proved to be significantly older than expected from their stratigraphic position. This phenomenon has not yet been clarified. Bislang galt es als sicher, dass die letzten Rentierjäger der Ahrensburger Kultur (Stielspitzengruppen) ausschließlich im nordwestlichen Mitteleuropa während der Jüngeren Dryas (~Grönlandstadial 1) existierten. Die seit 2006 durchgeführten Ausgrabungen auf dem Vorplatz der kleinen Blätterhöhle in Hagen am Nordrand des südwestfälischen Sauerlandes (Nordrhein-Westfalen) haben diese Sichtweise nun verändert. Unter einer überraschend umfangreichen Abfolge mesolithischer Fundhorizonte konnten auf dem Vorplatz schließlich pleistozäne Sedimente erreicht werden, deren Ausgrabungen ein für die Region und darüber hinaus ungewöhnliches spätpaläolithisches Steinartefaktensemble der Jüngeren Dryas erbrachten. Es zeichnet sich durch zahlreiche rückengestumpfte Projektilspitzen von hoher Variabilität aus. Vergleiche legen einen typologisch-technologischen Zusammenhang mit dem westeuropäischen Laborien/Epi-Laborien nahe. Weder in der näheren noch in der weiteren Umgebung ist bisher ein vergleichbares lithisches Fundensemble gefunden worden. Darüber hinaus fehlen eindeutige Nachweise für das Rentier in der Fauna. Überraschenderweise erwies sich die überwiegende Mehrzahl der Radiokarbondaten von Knochen und Holzkohlen aus dem untersuchten archäologischen Horizont des Spätpleistozäns als deutlich älter als aufgrund ihrer stratigraphischen Lage zu erwarten. Dieses Phänomen ist noch nicht geklärt.
The Middle Palaeolithic site Salzgitter Lebenstedt (northern Ger many), excavated in 1952, is weil known because of its well-preservedfaunal remains, dorninated by aduit reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). The archaeological assembiage accumulated in an arctic setting in anearlier part of the last (Weichsel) glacial (01S5-3). The site is remarkable because of the presence of unique Middle Palaeohthic bone tools and the occurrence of the northernrnost Neanderthal rernains, but this paper focuses on an analysis of its reindeer assemblage. The resuits indicate autumn hunting of reindeer by Middle Palaeolithic hominids. After the hunt, carcasses were butchered and in subsequent marrow processing of the bones a selection against young and sub-adult animals occurred. Aduits were clearly preferred, and from their bones, again, poorer marrow bones were neglected. This focus on primeness of resources has been documented in other dornains of Neanderthal behaviour, hut Salzgitter Lebenstedt is the best example yet known in terms of systematic and routinized processing of garne. The Salzgitter Lebenstedt assernblage displays sorne rernarkable sirnilarities to the Late Glacial reindeer assernblages from the Ahrensburg tunnel valley sites. The subsequent review ofthe evidence on subsistence strategies from earher periods of the European Palaeolithic shows that hunting of large mammals may have been a part of the behavioural repertoire of the Middle Pleistocene occupants of Europe from the earlfest occupation onwards. At the same time, it is suggested that these eariy hunting strategies were incorporated in ways of rnoving through landscapes (“settlement systems“) which were different frorn what we know from the middleparts of the Upper Palaeolithic onwards.