Predator Agents and Leporid Accumulations: the Case of Terrasses de la Riera dels Canyars (Gavà, Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract Terrasses de la Riera dels Canyars (Gavà, Barcelona, Spain) is an Upper Pleistocene fluvial deposit dated to 39.6 cal. ka BP with a few Aurignacian stone tools. Faunal remains recovered in this site contained, apart from large mammals, an important assemblage of leporid remains. This taxon (especially the European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus) is very abundant in most Paleolithic and Epipaleolithic sites in the Iberian Peninsula. For this reason, it has been proposed that this kind of small prey must have played a key role for human prehistoric communities. Since a considerable group of non-human predators can contribute in the formation of this kind of assemblages, identification of different taphonomic signatures produced by other predators must be implemented. Based on actualistic studies carried out on modern leporid remains produced by nocturnal and diurnal raptors, terrestrial carnivores, and humans, diagnostic taphonomic indicators of different predators were identified. In this paper, the patterns observed for these predators are applied to the taphonomical analysis of archaeological leporid remains from level middle lutitic unit (MLU) of Terrasses de la Riera dels Canyars in order to understand the origin of the accumulation. The study was carried out based on the analysis of the age of death, anatomical representation, degree of breakage and digestion, types of fractures, cut marks, tooth and beak marks, and burnt marks. Our results suggest that small terrestrial carnivores (probably Iberian lynx) were the main responsible agent for the leporid accumulations at Terrasses de la Riera dels Canyars with a very sporadic and punctual activity of humans. Canyars moves away from other coetaneous Mediterranean Iberian sites where the anthropic systematic use of small prey beginning in the Early Upper Paleolithic has been described.