The exploitation of small game: new taphonomic data from the Mesolithic rock shelter of Galgenbühel/Dos de la Forca(South Tyrol – Italy)

Galgenbühel/Dos de la Forca is an Early Mesolithic site located at Salorno (Province of Bolzano, Italy) and dated approximately between 8,500 and 7,500 cal. BC. The subsistence economy of the settlement relied on the exploitation of nearby wetlands and of the forested valley bottom; together with ungulates such as wild boar, red deer and chamois, the fauna comprises small carnivores and semi-aquatic mammals such as otter and beaver. The latter is the most abundant species, and a reasonable amount of its remains bear cut marks. Anthropic traces are also present on bones of wild cat, pine marten, badger and otter. We present a taphonomic study carried out on the bones belonging to small carnivores, rodents, and lagomorphs. A 3D digital microscope analysis was performed in order to distinguish the anthropic traces from non-anthropic modifications. Beside the results obtained from this exam, data from the evaluation of the cut mark positions on the bones and of the skeletal frequencies allowed the reconstruction of the methods adopted by hunter-gatherers in the treatment of beaver carcasses, and to understand the role of each species in their subsistence strategies.