Taphonomic study of the Early Pleistocene fossil assemblages of Ain Boucherit (Ain Hanech, Algeria)

Abstract

We present here the first results on the taphonomic analyses of the faunal assemblages from the stratigraphic Units R and P/Q at Ain Boucherit (Ain Hanech, Algeria), which yielded the earliest currently known archaeological occurrences in northern Africa. The majority of the fossil assemblages belong to the Bovidae family (with several subfamilies represented, primarily small-sized ones) and Equidae. Postdepositional modifications are abundant in both faunal assemblages, consisting mainly of manganese oxide stains, water activity, and root-etching. These modifications are more abundant in Unit R than in Unit P/Q. The damages related to water and root activities have led, in some cases, to poor preservations of bone surfaces, which is more evident in Unit R. Even with these taphonomic features, it was possible to identify evidence of hominin and carnivore activities. Anthropic bone breakage patterns and cutmarked bones indicate hominin exploitation of meat and marrow from animal carcasses. The carnivore activities are identified by the presence of toothmarks and damages related to marrow consumption. The hominin and carnivore faunal exploitation are differently represented in the Ain Boucherit units. While carnivore activities were more abundant in Unit R, evidence of hominin butchery activities are better represented in Unit P/Q.