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)

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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.

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