The question of use of bivalves has been discussed for many shoreline regions with a focus on the end of Pleistocene and the Holocene, through the study of large shell middens in all parts of the world. Some results were obtained for Pleistocene deposits, and several coastal occupations yielding shellfish have been recognized. These occupations are mainly oriented towards the consumption of the mollusks themselves, as well as shell utilization. Archaeological data from many sites in Spain, France and Italy confirm that shell collect and fresh water fishing was a common activity of Neandertals. The Ramandils cave, in France, excavated during the 1990's preserves 25 archaeostratigraphical layers dated from 77 to 94 kyr (Rusch et al., 2019). The base lies on the Eemian marine pebbles dated to 128 kyr (Yokoyama et al., 1980). Mollusks are abundant, associated with lithic industry, bone retouchers and faunal remains. Shells are fragmented and were collected fresh directly in the sand, or dead from the shoreline thanotocenosis. Ramandils cave contributes to the question of exploitation of aquatic resources and the adaptation to coastal environment addressed by the PCR/collective research group on Neandertal behavior “Le monde moustérien entre Rhône et Pyrénées”.
Références :
Rusch, L., Grégoire, S., Pois, V., Moigne, A.-M., 2019. Neanderthal and carnivore occupations in unit II from the Upper Pleistocene site of Ramandils Cave, (Port-la-Nouvelle, Aude, France). Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 28, 102038.
| Subject : | : | oral |
| Language of text | : | English |
| Topics | : | 1-1 Use of coastal food resources |
| PDF version | : |  PDF version |
