Bone Modification

While competition with large carnivores is likely to have shaped Middle Paleolithic hominins' subsistence behavior, palimpsested human and carnivore accumulations render the signal challenging to isolate. This study presents a detailed zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis of a non-anthropogenic faunal assemblage from a MIS 5 (~130-80 ka) hyena den and porcupine lair at Geula Cave (Mount Carmel, Israel). The assemblage features abundant hyena and porcupine remains, pervasive gnawing, and negligible anthropogenic impact, which we draw on to assess human-carnivore interaction (or resource use). The ungulate assemblage is diverse and similar to that of contemporaneous anthropogenic assemblages, implying significant hunting-niche overlap. We propose that high ungulate diversity during MIS 5, possibly driven by interglacial corridor connectivity between Africa and the Levant, reduced competitive pressure and facilitated coexistence. Using hyena prey as an ecological baseline reveals how apparent "human choices" may reflect shared constraints within a competitive predator guild.

Thirteen cases of individuals grouped together in buried structures following violent deaths are known to exist in Central European Neolithic sites. They are dated between the end of the 6th millennium and the middle of the third millennium. Within this group, two main categories can be distinguished: 1) “massacre deposits” consisting of individuals laid out in no particular order, and 2) genuine burials, where individuals were carefully intered according to the funeral practices prevailing in their community. The first is specific to the Danubian Neolithic, which includes the Linear Pottery culture (Lbk) and the cultures of the fifth millennium that derived from it. The second is represented by two sites from the third millennium belonging respectively to the Globular Amphora culture and the Corded Ware culture. A direct link with a warlike event seems plausible for the Late Neolithic graves. Although this interpretation is repeatedly postulated in the works devoted to them, it is more difficult to support for the “massacre deposits” of the Danubian Neolithic. The ambiguity of the data certainly does not allow us to definitively rule out a direct link with war in certain cases. However, the hypothesis of sacrificial ceremonies and deposits dedicated to supernatural powers seems to us to be the most plausible interpretation. In this hypothesis, war is not the direct cause of death, but it may intervene as a provider of victims for sacrifices unrelated to the martial context.

In this research, we performed an entomological and botanical investigation to evaluate some historical records on the post-mortem history of Saint Davino Armeno (11th century). We formulated some intriguing hypotheses related to a potential exposure of the body after death, the presence of a wooden coffin, and the type of environment of his first burial. Arthropod data allowed us to state that Saint Davino was first buried into the soil, likely in a wooden coffin. Almost all sampled arthropods belong to species that usually colonize corpses in concealed conditions during later colonization waves. An exception was represented by Muscina (Diptera: Muscidae) species, which colonizes bodies during the first phases of decomposition. Notably, the phenology of the Muscina spp.-mainly active in late spring and early summer-supports the available information on the Saint's death, which the hagiographic tradition places in early June. Lastly, botanical insights outlined that a significant number of herbaceous crops and trees were present in Tuscan medieval urban environments.

Rezension zu: Zeeb-Lanz, A. (ed.) (2019). Ritualised Destruction in the Early Neolithic – the Exceptional Site of Herxheim (Palatinate, Germany). (Forschungen zur Pfälzischen Archäologie, 8.2). Speyer: Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe - Rheinland-Pfalz. 482 S., Hardcover. ISBN 978-3-936113-15-0

Front cover: Detail of a mummy of a Greek youth named Artemidorus in a cartonnage body-case, 2nd century ad. British Museum, London (EA 21810) Printed and bound in the UK by 4edge Ltd, Hockley Papers used in this book by The British Museum Press are of FSC Mixed Credit, elemental chlorine free (ECF) fibre sourced from well-managed forests All British Museum images illustrated in this book are © The Trustees of the British Museum Further information about the Museum and its collection can be found at britishmuseum.org Preface v Preface | v Human remains in museum collections can be a charged focus amidst the contested debates surrounding the legacies of colonialism and empire, the different purposes of a museum's existence and the changing understanding of the human body. The assumed primacy of western scientific research over the concerns of indigenous populations has also been a point of contention. This collection of essays offers a particular set of perspectives on these issues as seen through the lens of one major international museum. The aim of the book is to show that there are many more aspects to the collections of human remains in museums than just issues of repatriation and display. The authors are predominantly British Museum staff or those who have engaged in different ways with the human remains in the British Museum's care. None of the authors would claim that the collection seeks to offer a definitive account of the complex and broad range of questions that surround the care, display and research of human remains in museum collections, nor would they wish this volume to be read as an official statement of the British Museum's position on these subjects. While many of the authors are employed by the British Museum, this does not mean that they share the same opinions on issues such as the repatriation, display, care or research of human remains in the collection. The motivation for publishing this book is to emphasize that for a museum of any size, it is impossible to separate out issues of repatriation or display from those of conservation, documentation and research in relation to human remains. The contributors to this volume seek to cover as far as possible the breadth of concerns related to the care of human remains. To hold a collection of any kind in trust for future generations, particularly one that includes human remains, means that those responsible for them have to consider all aspects of what that duty of care entails. Across three sections discussing the holding, conserving and researching of human remains, the chapters cover both practical and ethical issues from the relative humidity levels required for the storage of human remains to the use and publication of images. The book also reviews the claims that the British Museum's Trustees have considered in relation to the de-accession and return of some human remains in the collection. Many of the chapters highlight particular case studies that focus on one group of human remains or even the remains of one individual, such as Lindow Man. A number of authors discuss the processes and results of some areas of research on human remains in the collection, stressing the active contribution that such remains have in furthering our understanding of past societies, even if they have been in the museum's care for many years. This book is one outcome of a continuing process of reflection and discussion concerning how the British Museum should look after the human remains in its collection. The British Museum has held human remains since its foundation in 1753 when the original museum contained biological and geological materials alongside artefacts, books, prints and drawings. In the 19th century, many of the human remains in the British Museum passed into the care of the Natural History Museum which was created out of the biological and geological collections of the by changes in legislation and governmental guidance. However, most of the developments reflect how attitudes, practices and policies have been altered by Trustees and staff following movements and debates in the fields of museum studies, archaeology and physical anthropology, in addition to the larger shifts in public attitudes to death and the display of human remains. As discussed in several chapters, the British Museum's care of human remains falls within the legislative framework of the Human Tissue Act 2004 and the British Museum Act 1963 and is led by guidance issued by the UK government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport. These policies in particular instruct how the Museum can act when human remains are subject to repatriation requests or how the Museum should care for human remains less than 100 years old. However, wider aspects of the care of human remains have developed out of in-depth discussions with staff across the Museum over the last ten years. One result of this consultation process was a review of all the human remains on display in the Museum and an evaluation of what in practice was meant by displaying human remains with care and respect. As a consequence of this review, it was agreed that some human remains should be removed from display. These discussions have also resulted in the creation of the British Museum Policy on Human Remains, which offers guidance on all aspects of the care, conservation, documentation and study of the human remains in the British Museum collection. These changes reflect how in practice each generation of British Museum Trustees and staff seek to understand what it means for a museum to care for a collection that includes human remains 'in trust': in trust not for the present, but for the future. original British Museum. The human remains in the Museum's care today are relatively few in comparison to the overall size of the collection. While skeletons, cremated remains and mummies from archaeological investigations form a significant proportion of the collection, there is a relatively large number of objects from the last 200 years made in part or, more rarely, in whole from human hair, teeth or bone. The diversity of the range of human remains within the Museum's care is the key challenge in the curation, display and research of the collection. For example, different forms of human remains require different methods of storage and handling. The variety of the collection is a product of the cultures, both ancient and recent, from which they originate with different attitudes to death, human remains and mortuary practices. This divergence is also reflected in the variation of ways in which the human remains have arrived at the Museum. A significant proportion of the archaeological collections were excavated in the course of Museum projects over the last 30 years, but other remains, including many of the mummies, arrived at the Museum through gift or purchase in the 19th and 20th centuries. This also incorporates a large number of the most recent examples of human remains in the collection, and close research of the specific circumstances through which these human remains were collected often reveal complex and nuanced relationships and circumstances of their original gift or collection, before subsequently coming to the Museum at a later date. There have been significant changes in the last 20 years as to how the British Museum cares for, displays and researches human remains, some of which have been driven vi | Regarding the Dead Holding and Displaying Human Remains | 1 Part 1 from the Fourth Nile Cataract region. The Jebel Sahaba material was excavated nearly 50 years ago and ongoing work, including application of previously unavailable methods such as radiocarbon dating of the apatite fraction of bone, illustrate the fact that old collections continue to yield new data. CT scanning is increasing the knowledge that can be gained through the non-invasive study of mummified remains. Gebelein Man, a naturally desiccated pre-Dynastic mummy, has been in the Museum collection for over 100 years, but it was only with the recent application of high-resolution CT scanning that the likely cause of death, a penetrating wound to the back, was identified. This research directly informs the visitor experience. The mummified remains, which are displayed in the public galleries, can be autopsied virtually by visitors using a touch screen, allowing the visualization of preserved internal organs. The chapters in this section vividly illustrate why it is important to retain long-term collections of human remains in museums for both research and display purposes. Many research techniques involve the destruction of small samples of tissue, and even when remains are examined using non-destructive techniques, handling damage accumulates over time. Therefore, there is tension between the ethical requirement to preserve collections in ways which safeguard them for future generations and an imperative to allow them to be used to generate new knowledge. This tension lies at the heart of the decision-making process concerning requests for research access to human remains. A further issue, the value of human remains for enthusing and informing visitors about the past versus the need to treat remains with sensitivity and respect, lies at the heart of decisions concerning the display of human remains. This section illustrates the dilemmas that these considerations pose. It also reminds us of the importance of museums retaining expert scientific staff who are actively engaged in research. This not only helps to ensure the best curatorial decision-making concerning research access to collections, but also that displays in public galleries communicate results of research to museum visitors in an appropriate and engaging way. Joy also provides a brief review of display issues connected with other bog bodies. When Tollund Man was recovered in Denmark in 1950, the National Museum of Denmark initially felt that the body might be too 'macabre' for public...

Découvert en 2007, lors du diagnostic archéologique du projet de déviation de la RD766 de Châteaula-Vallière (Indre-et-Loire), l'établissement rural de La Tesserie (commune de Couesmes) a fait l'objet d'une fouille préventive par le Service de l'Archéologie du département d'Indre-et-Loire (SADIL), sous la direction scientifi que de Bénédicte Quilliec, responsable d'opération durant l'hiver 2008-2009. Il s'agit d'un habitat de La Tène fi nale, organisé autour d'un enclos fossoyé quadrangulaire d'environ 60 m de côté et comprenant une douzaine de bâtiments de tailles et de fonctions différentes. Les connaissances sur ce type d'occupation sont encore lacunaires dans le département car elles sont soumises aux contraintes habituelles de l'archéologie préventive. Dans ces conditions, l'apport de la fouille de Couesmes est important car d'une part, toute la surface de l'établissement a été fouillée et la plupart des structures ont été fouillées intégralement et car, d'autre part, tout le mobilier a été étudié. Par ailleurs, certains aspects du site présentent un caractère suffi samment original pour contribuer à la caractérisation de l'habitat rural dans le centre de la Gaule à La Tène fi nale (architecture, dépôts d'objets).

The Barnes Stone is an incised stone artifact found at the base of a roadcut along Red Springs Draw in the southern Bighorn Basin of Wyoming by Jeb Barnes, an avocational archaeologist from Thermopolis, Wyoming. We initially and erroneously identified this artifact as a modified piece of mammoth ivory. In this paper, we not only correct that identification but also report on the results of fieldwork and radiocarbon dating at the find locality, an archaeological site now known as the Barnes site (48HO949). Measurements of density combined with Raman spectroscopy confirm the Barnes Stone is made of calcite, possibly columnar travertine. Investigations at the Barnes site suggest prior to removal from the roadcut, the artifact was derived from a Late Archaic archaeological component buried in overbank deposits of an alluvial terrace. Radiocarbon dating suggests a discard date of ca. 2,700 and 2,400 BP for this artifact.

The Adaoust cave is located in southeastern France, in Provence, on the left bank of the Durance River (commune de Jouques, Bouches-du-Rhône). This Pliocene karstic network contains a stratigraphic sequence of human occupation from upper Paleolithic to Chalcolithic. The excavation of Neolithic deposits revealed human remains at two levels. In the epicardial level (ancient Neolithic) an inhumation in a fosse contained the complete skeleton of an old woman without any cutmarks on bones. The upper level is dated from end of ancient Neolithic (Pré-Chasséen) (C 14 , wood coal, 7219-6903 BC, cal. 1 sigma). Some human remains with intentional fractures and cut marks on someone had been discovered. The human remains are five fragments of mandible, five fragments of maxillary and a phalanx belonging to more than 5 people of different age (one adolescent, two young adults, two adults) with the same state of conservation than the animal bones of the site. Some cut marks are clearly visible on ...

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Available online at www.journaltaphonomy.com Study of faunal series resulting from recent excavations in two caves in North Atlantic Morocco (Grotte à Hominidés- GH- and Grotte des Rhinocéros- GDR- at Thomas I and Oulad Hamida 1 quarries, Casablanca) has yielded new evidence concerning the gathering and processing of ungulates carcasses during the Middle Pleistocene in this part of North Africa. Preliminary taphonomic analysis of the macrofauna indicates that the carcasses were mainly introduced in the caves by carnivores. Additionally, marks generated by porcupines also occur. Dimensions and morphologies of tooth-marks and coprolites suggest that carnivores of different sizes (mainly middle-sized canids, hyenids and felids), as well as porcupines, used the cave. Cut-marks on the bones are absent at GH and scarce at GDR, despite their association with lithic artefacts and human fossils. This raises the question of the relationship between hominins and other competitors in these cave...

Study of faunal series resulting from recent excavations in two caves in North Atlantic Morocco (Grotte à Hominidés -GH -and Grotte des Rhinocéros -GDR -at Thomas I and Oulad Hamida 1 quarries, Casablanca) has yielded new evidence concerning the gathering and processing of ungulates carcasses during the Middle Pleistocene in this part of North Africa. Preliminary taphonomic analysis of the macrofauna indicates that the carcasses were mainly introduced in the caves by carnivores. Additionally, marks generated by porcupines also occur. Dimensions and morphologies of tooth-marks and coprolites suggest that carnivores of different sizes (mainly middle-sized canids, hyenids and felids), as well as porcupines, used the cave. Cut-marks on the bones are absent at GH and scarce at GDR, despite their association with lithic artefacts and human fossils. This raises the question of the relationship between hominins and other competitors in these caves. The recurring question is to determine the modalities of niche partitioning by the various predators and/or carrion-eaters as well as the mode of introduction of artefacts and human remains.

The Canary Islands were first settled by North African groups in the first millennium CE and, after a few centuries of interconnections with the mainland and between islands, remained isolated until the late medieval European expansion into the Atlantic. El Hierro is a small island located in the westernmost part of the archipelago that was inhabited by the bimbapes from the 2nd century CE until the 15th century European conquest. The archaeological records, including marine food processing sites and cave burials, illustrate their adaptation to the environment: the dependence on marine resources for its economy owing the island's isolation and the scarcity of arable land and the use of the natural landscape to dispose of deads. La Lajura Cave, a collective burial site used from the 6th to 11th centuries CE, revealed significant anthropological and entomological findings. The archaeoentomological analysis of the sediment samples revealed 5816 insect remains, primarily Diptera and Coleoptera, with relatively small numbers of Hymenoptera, Heteroptera, Lepidoptera, and Arachnida. These findings shed light on decomposition processes and funerary practices as well as the distribution of the cadaveric entomofauna present in the western limit of the Palearctic region before the modern era. This study highlights the role of insects in cadaveric decomposition and their ecological behaviors, offering valuable insights into the funerary practices of Bimbape society in a unique ecological context.

Etude taphonomique du repaire d'hyènes de Camiac (Gironde, France). Eléments de comparaison entre un site naturel et un gisement préhistorique In: Bulletin de l'Association française pour l'étude du quaternaire-Volume 26-Numéro 2-1989. pp. 91-100. Résumé L'étude taphonomique du maténel ostéologique fossile provenant du site de Camiac permet d'établir la présence d'un repaire d'Hyènes. Le mode d'alimentation de ce Carnivore est précisé. La répartition anatomique des pièces et la façon dont elles ont été brisées diffèrent nettement de celles d'un gisement archéologique stricto sensu

Insects and other arthropods are used in different matters pertinent to the criminal justice system as they play very important role in the decomposition of cadavers. They are used as evidence in a criminal investigation to determine post mortem interval (PMI). Various researches and review articles are available on forensic entomology to determine PMI in the terrestrial environment but very less work has been reported in context to buried bodies. Burring the carcass, is one of the methods used by criminals to conceal the crime. So, to drive the attention of researchers toward this growing field and to help various investigating agencies, the present paper reviews the studies done on determination of post-burial interval (PBI), its importance and future prospective.

HAL is a multidisciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives| 4.0 International License

Présenté par Henry de Lumley Résumé-Le site de plein air de Holon (Israël), daté d'environ 200 000 ans, a livré de nombreux restes fauniques et une industrie acheuléenne. L'association du lithique et de la faune démontre que les hominidés ont joué un rôle primordial dans l'accumulation des différents restes. Le gisement de Holon apparaît comme un élément majeur pour la compréhension du Paléolithique inférieur de la région côtière du Levant.  2001 Académie des sciences / Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS site de plein air / Acheuléen / Paléolithique / Israël Abstract-The Acheulian open-air site from Holon (Israel) : preliminary results. The open-air site of Holon (Israel), dated to an age of 200 000 years has yielded a large Acheulean bone and lithic assemblage. The association between the lithics and fauna clearly demonstrates that Hominids were the prime agents in creating the assemblage. The site of Holon plays a major role in understanding the Lower Palaeolithic of the Levantine coastal area.  2001 Académie des sciences / Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS open-air site / Acheulian / Palaeolithic / Israel

For thirty years, neotaphonomical and actualistic researches have greatly contributed to our knowledge of the deposit processes of archaeological and palaeontological assemblages. Carnivores sensu lato are the most important bone accumulator or secondary taphonomical agent. Most of neotaphonomical studies have been developed on hyenas because of their osteophagic and accumulator behaviour. However interest focused on other carnivores is unequalled. If extant wolves are more frequently studied, osteophagy in mediumsized canids (e.g. dhole, wild dog) is rarely documented. Nevertheless, their implication in bone assemblage formation and modification is regularly questioned (e.g. Cuon priscus and alpinus during Middle and Late Pleistocene, Xenocyon sp. during Lower Pleistocene). This paper presents wild dogs Lycaon pictus experimental feedings we developed in order to record osteophagic poten tiality in mediumsized canids (fragmentation, tooth marks, bone ingestion/digestion). Here we present preliminary analysis of four experiments (about four complete goats) focused on two wild dog packs (a total of ten individuals) in collaboration with the African Reserve of Sigean (France). Results allow us to highlight first criteria which characterize a mediumsized canid taphonomical model.

La caverne est l'une des plus développées du Périgord avec environ 8 km de galeries réparties sur trois niveaux. Une seule entrée donne accès à ce labyrinthe, aujourd'hui totalement asséché, hormis certains secteurs du niveau le plus profond. Les recherches menées dans la grotte depuis les années 1950 documentent de nombreuses fréquentations, d'abord animales, puis humaines de la cavité. Elle fut successivement fréquentée par les ours des cavernes, les artistes préhistoriques et durant la Protohistoire. Célèbre pour son art paléolithique qui compte environ 230 figurations animales gravées ou dessinées en noir et dispersées dans 3 km de galeries, elle a été utilisée comme nécropole au cours de l'Âge du Bronze, puis par les Gaulois Pétrocores au I er siècle av. J.-C. comme habitat (?), nécropole et grotte-sanctuaire avec offrande de monnaies et de simulacres monétaires. Summary: The Rouffignac cave is a prehistoric ornate cave located in the heart of Périgord, in the town of Rouffignac-Saint-Cernin-de-Reilhac. The cave is one of the most developed in Périgord with around 8 km of galleries spread over three levels. A single entrance gives access to this labyrinth, which is now completely dry, except for certain sectors of the deepest level. Research carried out in the cave since the 1950 s documents numerous visits, first animal, then human, to the cavity. It was successively frequented by cave bears, prehistoric artists and during Protohistory. Famous for its Paleolithic art which has about 230 animal figurations engraved or drawn in black and dispersed in 3 km of galleries, it was used as a necropolis during the Bronze Age, then by the Gallic Petrocores in the 1 st century BC. As a habitat (?), Necropolis and cave-sanctuary with an offering of coins and monetary simulacra. Resumen: La cueva Rouffignac es una cueva prehistórica adornada ubicada en el corazón del Périgord, en la ciudad de Rouffignac-Saint-Cernin-de-Reilhac. La cueva es una de las más importantes del Périgord, que cuenta con alrededor de 8 km de galerías repartidas en tres niveles. Una sola entrada da acceso a este laberinto, que ahora está completamente seco, a excepción de ciertos sectores del nivel más profundo. La investigación realizada en la cueva desde la los años 1950 documenta numerosas fases de ocupación, primero animales, luego humanas. El yacimiento fue frecuentado sucesivamente por osos de las cavernas, por artistas prehistóricos y durante la Protohistoria. La cueva es conocida por su arte paleolítico. Cuenta alrededor de 230 figuras de animales grabadas o dibujadas en negro y dispersas en 3 km de galerías. También fue utilizada como necrópolis durante la Edad del Bronce y, después, por el pueblo galo de los Petrocores en el siglo I a.C. como hábitat (?), Necrópolis y cueva-santuario con una ofrenda de monedas y simulacros monetarios.

Présenté par Henry de Lumley Résumé-Le site de plein air de Holon (Israël), daté d'environ 200 000 ans, a livré de nombreux restes fauniques et une industrie acheuléenne. L'association du lithique et de la faune démontre que les hominidés ont joué un rôle primordial dans l'accumulation des différents restes. Le gisement de Holon apparaît comme un élément majeur pour la compréhension du Paléolithique inférieur de la région côtière du Levant.  2001 Académie des sciences / Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS site de plein air / Acheuléen / Paléolithique / Israël Abstract-The Acheulian open-air site from Holon (Israel) : preliminary results. The open-air site of Holon (Israel), dated to an age of 200 000 years has yielded a large Acheulean bone and lithic assemblage. The association between the lithics and fauna clearly demonstrates that Hominids were the prime agents in creating the assemblage. The site of Holon plays a major role in understanding the Lower Palaeolithic of the Levantine coastal area.  2001 Académie des sciences / Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS open-air site / Acheulian / Palaeolithic / Israel

La grotte de Buraca Escura a été occupée durant les Paléolithique moyen et supérieur. Les occupations humaines étaient saisonnières (printemps, été) et de courtes durées. Elles sont associées à de nombreux oiseaux (corvidés dominants), différents carnivores (Lynx, Canis, Crocuta dominants) et à une riche accumulation d'herbivores, en particulier de bouquetin. L'objectif consiste à faire une étude comparative entre les principales phases chronoculturelles montrant les différences et/ou les similarités dans la présence et le degré d'exploitation des ongulés et l'utilisation de la cavité par de multiples agents.

Le cannibalisme est issu d'une déformation linguistique de la terminologie Arawak (Amérindiens des Antilles) caribal qui signifie courageux. Christophe Colomb l'emploie pour désigner les Indiens des Caraïbes réputés pour être des mangeurs d'hommes. Le cannibalisme est largement répandu au sein du règne animal. Sa pratique au sein de l'espèce humaine remonte au Paléolithique et persiste encore dans certaines sociétés actuelles, bien qu'elle ne répond pas exclusivement à des besoins alimentaires comme chez les autres espèces animales. Au regard de sa large distribution, il y a lieu de s'interroger sur les causes, origines et avantages évolutifs de ce comportement au sein du règne animal. Le cannibalisme est induit soit par des facteurs écologiques directement liés à une insuffisance des ressources alimentaires, à de fortes densités d'individus et à une hétérogénéité structurale de la population, soit par des facteurs sociaux comme des besoins de reproduction, ou des contraintes de soins parentaux face à une progéniture trop nombreuse. Les avantages de ce comportement sont les gains nutritionnel et énergétique, les gains de territoire pour vivre et se développer. Par contre, les inconvénients résident dans la réduction des effectifs et de la variabilité génétique de la population, ainsi que dans la possibilité de transmission de parasites, virus et de maladies. Mots-clés. Cannibalisme, dynamique des populations, ressources alimentaires, reproduction, densité. Origin and evolution of cannibalism in the animal populations: why to eat conspecific? The term «Cannibalism» is a linguistic distortion resulting from Arawak terminology (Amerindians in the Antilles) caribal that means courageous. Columbus uses it to describe Caribbean Indians identified as eaters of human flesh. Cannibalism behavior is widespread in the animal kingdom. It has occurred in human society since the paleolithic and many typologies of cannibalism have recently been described. Identifying the evolutionary causes and benefits of cannibalism in animal populations may provide information about its taxonomic diversity. In general cannibalism is favored by ecological factors related to the low availability of alternative food. It may also depend to varying degrees upon population density. Social factors, like competition for mates and offspring parental care when food is scare may also promote cannibalism behavior. Significant nutritional and energy benefits combined to a territorial advantage were provided by cannibalism. For many species cannibalism can strongly affect population dynamics and mortality rates with enhancing the risk of infection from parasites and viruses.

The taphonomic history of the Middle Holocene archaeological component at the AEP-1 site was studied based on the analysis of bone modifications of the archaeofaunistic assemblage and the features of the geological matrix. Such indicators represent excellent examples of the agents and generating processes of the archeological context at the Piedra Museo AEP-1 rock shelter, located in the Deseado Massif, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. The present day environment is the remains of a paleolagoon, within the arid basaltic plateau. The analyzed zooarcheological context comes from stratigraphic unit 2 (SU 2), which constitutes the IIA horizon of a local paleosol. The pedogenetic process started to develop beginning in 7000 BP. The SU 2 matrix of the palaeosoil is of eolian origin, with a pedogenetic reorganization, where root and insect activity are highly developed. Therefore, the study of bioturbations and diagenesis (i.e. etching, stained and differential weathering of bone specimens) were analyzed. However, the large number of postdepositional bone modifications was not enough to obliterate the marks of human activity on bone material made during the Middle Holocene, which supports the previous hypothesis that the site could have been an area of multiple activities with loci of secondary and final processing of prey.

Insects play a fundamental role in the removal and recycling of the organic matter from human cadavers and animal carcasses. Several factors can affect both the cadaver decomposition and colonisation by insects and other animals. Accessibility to the body is one of these factors. The archaeological, anthropological and entomological investigations conducted inside the Crypt of the Franciscan Monastery in Azzio (Varese, northern Italy) allowed the reconstitution of the funerary practices used by a Franciscan community between the 17 th and 18 th centuries and provides a good example of necrophagous entomo-fauna selection. Human remains were found in the putridarium chamber, a semicircular room with sixteen narrow and semicircular niches, where bodies were located untill the complete decomposition of the soft tissues. Numerous puparia were collected from the bones, the clothes and the niche walls. The majority belonged to Hydrotaea capensis (Diptera: Muscidae) and a few puparia of scuttle flies in the family Phoridae were detected among the studied material. Fragments of beetles in the families Staphylinidae and Cryptophagidae were also sampled. The entomological findings clearly support the hypothesis that the bodies were quickly transferred into the crypt after death and that the specific hypogeal (subterranean) environment selected the entomofauna community composition. The observations here reported with similar entomological findings cited in the literature support the hypothesis of a specific selectivity on insects' community by underground environments (e.g. graves, crypts). This conclusion can be applied to outline a common pattern in archaeological contexts and in indoor forensic cases.

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Au sein de l’échantillon d’individus de Qafzeh (Basse Galilée), datés du Paléolithique moyen, Qafzeh 25 est représenté par des composants du squelette ayant été sérieusement altérés pendant la fossilisation, et tout particulièrement le bloc crânio-facial et la mandibule compressés bilatéralement. Grâce aux avancées méthodologiques de l’imagerie 3D, nous proposons dans cette étude une reconstitution virtuelle de la mandibule à partir de CT-scans du fossile original. Cette restauration virtuelle réalisée à l’aide du logiciel TIVMI permet de mener une première analyse morphométrique comparative avec les autres mandibules connues au Levant méditerranéen pour le Paléolithique et l’Épipaléolithique.

Découvert en 2007, lors du diagnostic archéologique du projet de déviation de la RD766 de Châteaula-Vallière (Indre-et-Loire), l'établissement rural de La Tesserie (commune de Couesmes) a fait l'objet d'une fouille préventive par le Service de l'Archéologie du département d'Indre-et-Loire (SADIL), sous la direction scientifi que de Bénédicte Quilliec, responsable d'opération durant l'hiver 2008-2009. Il s'agit d'un habitat de La Tène fi nale, organisé autour d'un enclos fossoyé quadrangulaire d'environ 60 m de côté et comprenant une douzaine de bâtiments de tailles et de fonctions différentes. Les connaissances sur ce type d'occupation sont encore lacunaires dans le département car elles sont soumises aux contraintes habituelles de l'archéologie préventive. Dans ces conditions, l'apport de la fouille de Couesmes est important car d'une part, toute la surface de l'établissement a été fouillée et la plupart des structures ont été fouillées intégralement et car, d'autre part, tout le mobilier a été étudié. Par ailleurs, certains aspects du site présentent un caractère suffi samment original pour contribuer à la caractérisation de l'habitat rural dans le centre de la Gaule à La Tène fi nale (architecture, dépôts d'objets). Un établissement rural de La Tène fi nale à Couesmes, La Tesserie (Indre-et-Loire)

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La dégradation du cadavre d’un individu pourrait être influencée par les équipements biophysiologiques de ce dernier. L’effet de l’énergie biologique que procurent les ressources apportées à l’organisme, en l’occurrence l’alimentation, sur la variabilité taphonomique du cadavre est loin d’être suffisamment étudié. La présente étude se propose d’examiner la taphonomie du cadavre d’un humain en considérant son régime alimentaire.
Elle porte sur un échantillon de quatre cadavres de substituts humains (porcs) juvéniles mâles de l’espèce sus scrofa domesticus dont trois expérimentaux et un témoin âgé de trois mois et présentant une masse comprise entre 19 et 24 kg. Les trois porcs expérimentaux sont soumis respectivement à une alimentation énergétique, de construction et fonctionnelle. Le témoin a bénéficié d’une alimentation générale. Ces différentes carcasses sont exposées à l’air libre sur quatre sites similaires. L’expérience est répétée conformément au même protocole sur des sites comparables (huit cadavres dont six expérimentaux et deux témoins). La mesure de l’alimentation s’est faite à travers un questionnaire. La durée de décomposition est mesurée au moyen d’une fiche d’observation.
Les résultats des tests d’Analyse de variance (ANOVA test) et de Newman-Keuls montrent que la durée en jours des différentes phases de désintégration de la carcasse que sont le gonflement, la décomposition active et la décomposition avancée du porc ayant été soumis à un régime alimentaire général diffère de celle des porcs ayant un régime alimentaire plus énergétique, plus constructif ou plus fonctionnel. Les phases initiales et de squelettisation du cadavre ne varient pas, quel que soit le régime alimentaire. Le régime alimentaire influencerait majoritairement les phases du processus taphonomique du cadavre.

Mots clés : Taphonomie; Physionutrition; Substitut humain; Juvénilité; Côte d’Ivoire

Introduction.— La compréhension du processus de décomposition
cadavérique est importante pour la détermination du délai post-mortem.
Le but de cette étude est de décrire les différentes étapes de la
décomposition de cadavres de porc exposés et non exposés aux insectes
nécrophages en zone guinéenne de Côte d’Ivoire et d’estimer la durée moyenne de la squelettisation selon l’exposition.
Méthodes.— Il s’agit d’une étude descriptive et prospective qui a consisté
à décrire les modifications physiques de 6 cadavres de porc, dont 3 porcs
témoins nommés PT (placés dans des grilles non accessibles aux insectes nécrophages), et 3 porcs exposés aux insectes nécrophages
nommés PE (placés dans des grilles à grandes mailles accessibles aux
insectes nécrophages), disposés à l’air libre sur 3 sites différents dans la
ville d’Abidjan. Les données de température ambiante et d’hygrométrie sont obtenues à l’aide d’un enregistreur thermohygromètre tandis que celles de pluviométrie et d’insolation sont fournies par la Société d’exploitation et de développement aéroportuaire, aéronautique et Météorologique (SODEXAM)-Abidjan.
Résultats. — Durant l’étude, la température ambiante oscille entre 25,18C
et 27,98C. L’humidité relative est en moyenne de 85,2 +/- 1,5 % (extrêmes
: 83—88). Une saison hebdomadaire pluvieuse est enregistrée à la
2e semaine, avec une pluviométrie totale de 255,4 mm de précipitations.