New excavations at Grotta Guattari. Humans and carnivores: preys and bone surface modifications

New investigations at Grotta Guattari (San Felice Circeo, Latina, central Italy) were carried out by the “Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le Province di Frosinone e Latina” in collaboration with archaeologists from the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”. The new archaeological investigation inside the cave, in the Antro del Laghetto, revealed a portion of paleosurface correlatable to the one already known since 1939. In addition, the excavation of the external cave shelter revealed an interesting stratigraphy with layers showing traces of human activity also referable to Neanderthal man. On one side, the preliminary taphonomic study, based on bovid remains found within the cave, revealed large carnivores’ modifications. The long limb bones lack epiphyses and trabecular tissue, clearly indicating that these were gnawed to access bone marrow, confirming the results of the 1990s study. On the other side, the bone assemblage found outside the cave mainly shows defleshing marks and intentional impact fractures on fresh bones referable to human activities. In addition to the exceptional nature of the discovery, the taphonomic analysis will be particularly useful to compare two fossil assemblages accumulated by different taphonomic agents.Daujeard, C.; Moncel, M.-H.; Fiore, I.; Tagliacozzo,A.; Bindon, P. & Raynal, J.-P. 2014: Middle Paleolithicbone retouchers in South-eastern France: variabilityand functionality. Quaternary International326-327: 492-518.Diedrich, C. 2010: Specialized horse killers in Europe:Foetal horse remains in the Late Pleistocene SrbskoChlum-Komın Cave hyena den in the BohemianKarst (Czech Republic) and actualistic comparisonsto modern African spotted hyenas as zebra hunters.Quaternary International 220: 174–187.— 2020: Eating head first-When European Ice Age spottedhyenas crushed their own to pieces. Acta Zoologica2021(102): 143–164. https://doi.org/10.1111/azo.12323Diedrich, C.G. & Žák, K. 2006: Prey deposits and densites of the Upper Pleistocene hyena Crocuta crocutaspelaea (Goldfuss, 1823) in horizontal and verticalcaves of the Bohemian Karst (Czech Republic). Bulletinof Geosciences 81(4): 237–276.Egeland, S.G.; Egeland, C.P. & Bunn, T.H. 2008: TaphonomicAnalysis of a Modern Spotted Hyaena(Crocuta crocuta) Den From Nairobi, Kenya. Journalof Taphonomy 6(3-4): 275-299.Fernández-Jalvo, Y. & Andrews, P. 2016: Atlas of TaphonomicIdentifications. 1001+ Images of Fossil andRecent Mammal Bone Modification. Springer, Amsterdam.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7432-1Fiore, I. 2021: Tracce sulle ossa: una lettura interessante.Archeologia Viva 210: 64-65.Lansing, S.w.; Cooper, S.w.; Boydston, E.e. & Holekamp,K.E. 2009: Taphonomic and zooarchaeologicalimplications of spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) boneaccumulations in Kenya: a modern behavioral ecologicalapproach. Paleobiology 35(2): 289–309.Patou-Mathis, M. 2002 (ed.): Compresseurs, percuteurs,retouchoirs. Industrie de l’os préhistorique. CahierX, Société Prehistorique Française.Petronio, C.; Rolfo, M.F.; Ceruleo, P.; Di Mario, F.;Ferracci, A.; Fiore, I.; Gatta, M. & Salari, L. 2021:Preliminary report on the new faunal remains fromGrotta Guattari (Late Pleistocene, San Felice Circeo,Latium). Bulletin of Regional Natural History 1(4):29-38.Piperno, M. & Giacobini, G. 1991: A taphonomic studyof the paleosurface of Guattari Cave (Monte Circeo,Latina, Italy). Quaternaria Nova 1 (1990/91): 143-161.Pokines, J.T. & Kerbis-Peterhans, J.C. 2007: Spottedhyena (Crocuta crocuta) den use and taphonomy inthe Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. JournalArchaeological Science 34: 1914–1931.Salari, L.; Ceruleo, P.; Di Mario, F.; Ferracci, A.; Fiore,I.; Gatta, M.; Petronio, C.; Salari, L. & Rolfo, M.F.this volume: Late Pleistocene faunal remains fromnew investigations at Grotta Guattari (San Felice Circeo,Latium): preliminary considerations on climateand environment. Atti del 10° Convegno Nazionale diArcheoZoologia, Siena, 3-6 novembre 2021.Stiner, M.C. 1991a: The Guattari faunas then and now.Quaternaria Nova 1 (1990/91): 163-192.— 1991b: The faunal remains from Grotta Guattari: ataphonomic perspective. Current Anthropology 32:103-117.https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hyena-prey-216385873https://www.africa-wildlife-detective.com/hyena.htmlhttps://static.wikia.nocookie.net/animalian/images/a/a7/Spotted-hyena.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170529210447