Persistent predators: Zooarchaeological evidence for specialized horse hunting at Schöningen 13II-4
Open access:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103590
Highlights
*The Schöningen “Spear Horizon” likely accumulated over a short period of time.
*Middle Pleistocene hominins potentially occupied the Schöningen
lakeshore year-round.
*Schöningen hunters were highly selective in prey choice and prey target groups.
*Carcass exploitation at Schöningen focused on situational needs.
Abstract
The Schöningen 13II-4 site is a marvel of Paleolithic archaeology. With
the extraordinary preservation of complete wooden spears and butchered
large mammal bones dating from the Middle Pleistocene, Schöningen
maintains a prominent position in the halls of human origins worldwide.
Here, we present the first analysis of the complete large mammal faunal assemblage from Schöningen 13II-4, drawing on multiple lines of zooarchaeological and taphonomic evidence to expose the full spectrum of hominin activities at the site—before, during, and after the hunt. Horse (Equus mosbachensis) remains dominate the assemblage and suggest a
recurrent ambush hunting strategy along the margins of the Schöningen paleo-lake. In this regard, Schöningen 13II-4 provides the first
undisputed evidence for hunting of a single prey species that can be
studied from an in situ, open-air context. The Schöningen hominins
likely relied on cooperative hunting strategy to target horse family
groups, to the near exclusion of bachelor herds. Horse kills occurred
during all seasons, implying a year-round presence of hominins on the Schöningen landscape. All portions of prey skeletons are represented in
the assemblage, many complete and in semiarticulation, with little
transport of skeletal parts away from the site. Butchery marks are
abundant, and adult carcasses were processed more thoroughly than were juveniles. Numerous complete, unmodified bones indicated that lean meat
and marrow were not always so highly prized, especially in events
involving multiple kills when fat and animal hides may have received
greater attention. The behaviors displayed at Schöningen continue to challenge our perceptions and models of past hominin lifeways, further cementing Schöningen's standing as the archetype for understanding
hunting adaptations during the European Middle Pleistocene.
Well, that doesn't sound like diving for shellfish.
erik simpson wrote:
Verhaegen never figured out how to read this NG.
Oh, don't worry. You'll just take offense and then make
yourself certain that this means your right, even if
you have no idea about what, and that Aquatic Ape is wrong
else you couldn't feel these emotions now could you?
Mario Petrinovic wrote:
Horse (Equus mosbachensis) remains dominate the assemblage and
suggest a recurrent ambush hunting strategy along the margins of the
Schöningen paleo-lake.
I like the ambush hunting but, aren't we talking about throwing
spears?
I have long argued that throwing spears vanished from the
archaeological record BECAUSE they took to ambush hunting...
People ambush hunt today. If you look you can even find videos
of them doing it, though not for the squeamish as we are speaking
of videos of hunting.
I always assumed that they'd just find a watering hole and/or
game trail, sit up high in an overhanging tree limb and then
stab down on the first animal that wanders by. But I have seen
videos wear hunters, modern hunters, lurk in the underbrush &
stab at an animal from there. Effective? Yes. But not so much
when talking about a dangerous animal. A Wild Boar, for
example, would likely have torn their leg apart for havign
stabbed them... and a bear either runs or kills you.
I think the belief is that we're speaking of Heidelberg Man here, and
the spears are described as throwing spears.
Mario Petrinovic wrote:
The search of the document for the words "throw" or "thrust"
gives only one sentence: "The final death blows likely came at close
range with spears thrown over a short distance or with thrusting spears."
It's been a while since I read up on the finds, and the newer the claims
the more bullshit, but are they saying to have found thrusting spears?
Mario Petrinovic wrote:
Well, the spears were, either thrust, or thrown over a short
distance. Thrusting spear you can throw over short distance, throwing
spears you can just throw (it means, long distances). I can hit
somebody's head with a chair, by breaking it onto his head, or by
throwing chair over short distance. Everything can be hit over short
distance, they wouldn't mention short distance if they were using
throwing spears, which can be thrown over long distance. So, the
spears were definitely thrusting, and it is known that this is the way
Neanderthals used their spears.
I'll rephrase the question:
The claim is in no uncertain terms that throwing spears were found. My question is if they are also claiming to have found thrusting spears?
Mario Petrinovic wrote:
I didn't read the whole document. In that sentence that I >> showed you, it is obvious that they found thrusting spears, because
you cannot thrust throwing spears
Of course you can.
The only potential differences, really, is that throwing spears
generally had sharpened points, instead of stone points. They
just sharpened the end of the shaft.
But of course there's nothing stopping them from afixing stone
points, and sharpened ends is probably better suited to spear
fishing than taking down a horse.
A horse is going to run quite some distance before dropping from
a sharpened stick...
Stone blades are knives that work back & forth as an animal runs,
enlarging the wound.
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