Butchered and consumed: Small carnivores from the Holocene levels of El Mirador Cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain)
2014; Elsevier BV; Volume: 353; Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/j.quaint.2014.08.011
ISSN1873-4553
AutoresPatricia Martín, Palmira Saladié, Jordi Nadal, Josep María Vergès,
Tópico(s)Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
ResumoCarnivore consumption has been identified in the Holocene levels of El Mirador Cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). Remains of domestic dogs, wild cats, badgers, and foxes, recovered from Neolithic to Bronze Age levels (sixth millennium to second millennium cal BC), present evidence of human consumption. This evidence includes cut marks, bone breakage, signs of culinary processing and human tooth marks. This is some of the oldest evidence documented either in the Iberian Peninsula or in Europe as a whole, and it is the first time that human tooth marks are used to confirm the human consumption of these carnivores. Dog consumption is sporadic but occurs repeatedly in time, whereas the consumption of small wild carnivores is more limited in time. These practices could be linked with the provision of extra food during periods of shortage and/or with meat of special consideration, especially dog meat.
Referência(s)