A rallying point for different predators: the avian record from a Late Pleistocene sequence of Grotte des Barasses II (Balazuc, Ardèche, France)

International audienceThe presence of processed birds in the archeologicalfaunal record is considered key to assessing human dietary evolution.Taphonomic studies on birds from sites older thanMarine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2 have become relevant in the lastfew years, leading to the proposal of more complex scenarios ofhuman subsistence. Several works have demonstrated directevidence of bird consumption by Homo prior to anatomicallymodern humans in Europe; however, others support thehypothesis of non-anthropogenic bird accumulations. This hasled to the necessity of determining what elements or factorscause the human exploitation of birds in some archeologicalsites before the end of the Pleistocene. The Grotte desBarasses II site is located within this framework. Short-termhuman occupations have been attested by the presence of lithictools and processed macrofaunal remains. Additionally, a smallassemblage of bird bones has also been recovered. Here, wepresent a detailed taphonomic study with the aim of exploringpossible relationships between these avian taxa and human occupations.Despite the fact that Neanderthals inhabited the cave,avian specimens show damage pointing to different causativeagents. Direct evidence (digestion, gnawing) indicates thatmammalian carnivores and nocturnal raptors were mainly involvedin the accumulation of bird bones. We propose somefactors that might determine whether or not small game wasexploited in this specific locality and emphasize the importanceof such analytical approaches in the general interpretations ofthe Pleistocene sites