Neanderthals and Anatomical Modern Humans at Cueva del Arco (Murcia, Spain). Comparison of their hunting and consuming patterns

Cueva del Arco is an archaeological site situated in the Mediterranean region of the Iberian Peninsula. The site comprises several cavities, named A to E, which contain a sequence from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic period. Cavity D is particularly noteworthy for its Palaeolithic art. The most comprehensive and well-represented sequence from the site is found in cavity A, where levels from the Middle Palaeolithic and Upper Palaeolithic have been identified. This study presents the analysis of faunal remains from level III (Mousterian, older than c. 55 ka BP) and level II (Gravettian, ca. 33.8–32.0 ka cal BP) found in this cavity. The main objective of this work is to compare the subsistence behaviour of two distinct human groups, Neanderthals and Anatomical Modern Humans, who used the same dwelling. A zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis was conducted to achieve this goal. The assemblages consist of several species of ungulates, carnivores, and leporids. Leporids are the most abundant group (ca. 90%), while ungulates mainly comprise Capra pyrenaica, with few remains from Bos primigeniu, Equus ferus, and Cervus elaphus. The assemblage is highly fragmented and diagenetically altered, though some anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic modifications could be identified. The comparison reveals minor variations in the taxonomic composition, age-at-death, and resource exploitation, including thermal alterations, percussion marks, cut-marks, and non-anthropogenic modifications. Additionally, the study of the material culture suggests that both Neanderthal and Gravettian human occupations were brief and infrequent, and faunal study should help to better understand their nature.