Taphonomical and zooarchaeological methods in the study of the Upper Paleolithic Yudinovo site (Bryansk Region, Russia) [Méthodes taphonomique et zooarchéologique d'études du paléolithique supérieur de Yudinovo (Région de Bryansk, Russie)].

Résumé

This investigation is focused on the examination of the faunal remains from the Upper Paleolithic Yudinovo site. This site is located in the first alluvial terrace on the Right Bank of the Sudost' River. This site belongs to a big group of the Desna River basin Upper Paleolithic sites such as Yeliseevichi, Mezin, Timonovka and others. The settlement dated to the Late Valdai Glacial period (14 000 BP). The osteological collection numerated more than 22 000 identifiable bone remains belong to the 11 species of large and medium mammals. Among them the remains of polar fox (Alopex lagopus) are predominated. Bones of musk ox (Ovibos moschatus, wolf (Canis lupus), marmot (Marmota bobak) and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) are followed by less numerous correspondingly. The remains of microtine rodents, insectivores and mammoth have not been analyzed. Taphonomical and zooarchaeological analyses are including the classification of bone remains respect to color, weathering, breakage characteristics, surficial damage and the studies of bone surficial damage related to a human action and the animal skeletal parts representation. The results of analyses allow us to conclude that these bone assemblages originated mainly from the remains of prey brought to the site by hunters. One can say that the treatment of ungulate animals and large preys were made outside the settlement. In general men supplied the site by fells (often with distal skeleton elements of extremities) and some particular parts of the procured animals. The fragmentation of ungulate's longbones may be inferred by bone broken for marrow. The skinning of polar fox were also done within the procuring place and the fells together phalanges were brought to the site. A whole bodies of polar fox, marmot and wolf were transported not so often to the settlement for the treatment and the further utilization. Subsequently the useless whole or any parts of animal carcasses were piled (discarded) in pits (refuse pits). It can be testified by the presence of bones in anatomical order and the peculiarities of the weathering of skeleton elements connecting with the successive of the disarticulation of carcasses. The dark grey color of bones probably shows that the assemblages at first time were accumulated in the soil with high concentration of huminic acids. A good preservation of osteological material caused by both the rather fast accumulation of bone remains and the fast formation of the deluvial deposits in the region investigated.