Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword by Anta Montet-White
- Acknowledgments
- List of Authors and Contributors
- PART I INTRODUCTION, BACKGROUND, AND METHODOLOGY
- PART II SPECIALIZED ANALYSES
- 3 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy at Fontéchevade
- 4 Paleoclimate Delineation Using Magnetic Susceptibility Data
- 5 Electrical Resistivity Survey of Fontéchevade
- 6 The Fossil Human Remains
- 7 Radiometric Dates
- 8 Faunal Taphonomy
- 9 The Fauna from Henri-Martin's Excavation of Bed E
- 10 The Upper Paleolithic of Fontéchevade
- 11 Description of the Lithic Industries
- PART III ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS
- References
- Index
8 - Faunal Taphonomy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 May 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword by Anta Montet-White
- Acknowledgments
- List of Authors and Contributors
- PART I INTRODUCTION, BACKGROUND, AND METHODOLOGY
- PART II SPECIALIZED ANALYSES
- 3 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy at Fontéchevade
- 4 Paleoclimate Delineation Using Magnetic Susceptibility Data
- 5 Electrical Resistivity Survey of Fontéchevade
- 6 The Fossil Human Remains
- 7 Radiometric Dates
- 8 Faunal Taphonomy
- 9 The Fauna from Henri-Martin's Excavation of Bed E
- 10 The Upper Paleolithic of Fontéchevade
- 11 Description of the Lithic Industries
- PART III ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS
- References
- Index
Summary
INTRODUCTION
The fauna recovered in the course of our excavations were grouped into six sectors:
Main Profile: from the upper levels of the main profile left by Henri-Martin's excavations
X Levels: from the disturbed deposits at the sides of the main profile, against the cave walls
Test Pit: from our expansion of Henri-Martin's Test Pit 3 near the back of the cave, with the exception of the Bronze Age levels
Bronze Age: from our expansion of Henri-Martin's Test Pit 3 near the back of the cave
Small Test: from our small test just behind and above the main profile; the sediments in this level had been severely disturbed and may have consisted of backdirt from Henri-Martin's excavations
Witness Section: the bench of sediments left as a “Témoin” by Henri-Martin; one level, TX, was a disturbed deposit analogous to or perhaps continuous with the X Levels
Fauna were generally not preserved in the Main Profile. There were faunal remains in Level 1A, but this level was seriously disturbed and its contents therefore suspect. Consequently, we have no material there corresponding to the majority of Henri-Martin's Bed E. Because she had removed all sediments above her Bed E, we also lack any material comparable to her Beds A–D.
The identified fauna consisted of rhinoceros, horses, bovines (Bos and/or Bison), cervids, carnivores, lagomorphs, birds, and turtle or tortoise (Table 8.1).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cave of FontéchevadeRecent Excavations and their Paleoanthropological Implications, pp. 127 - 138Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008