Archéozoologie, taphonomie et application du ZooMS sur la faune protoaurignacienne de Riparo Bombrini

Archaeozoology, taphonomy and ZooMS technique applied to the protoaurignacian fauna from Riparo Bombrini - We suggest examining Protoaurignacian mobility strategies through the faunal record of Riparo Bombrini to better understand human-environ- mental interactions during the early dispersal of anatomically modern humans along the Mediterranean coast. Riparo Bombrini is located in the renowned Balzi Rossi complex in Northwest Italy. The site offers an excellent opportunity to compare two distinct Protoaurignacian lev- els yielding well-documented and well-dated deposits. Previous studies of spatial, lithic, and raw material data from these two Protoaurignacian levels have revealed distinct mobility signatures as well as undeniable evidence for the resilience of the Protoaurignacian technocomplex during episodes of climatic instability including the HE4 event, circa 40ka cal BP. The highly fragmented nature of the animal bones at the site warrants the application of the ZooMS (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry) collagen fingerprinting technique. For this research we carried out tapho- nomic and archaeozoological analyses with integrated systematic ZooMS using a mass sampling strategy. The results both support and nuance pre- vious interpretations about the internal variability of the Protoaurignacian at Riparo Bombrini. First, they suggest stability in hunting strategies over time in spite of the apparent shift in mobility strategies from Level A2 to Level A1 at Riparo Bombrini. This reinforces the idea that the techno- complex was an adaptable strategy that allowed a great deal of flexibility to respond to shifts in local conditions to favor the long-term resilience of the human occupation of the region. The faunal data also agrees with previous interpretation of a more logistical land-use strategy in Level A2 since during the accumulation of this level, the site was used for longer periods of time, as shown by the more organised spatial separation of activity areas, the greater abundance of faunal remains that accumulated over the same site surface, the apparent systematic use of cancellous bone to feed fires, and seasonal occupations of the site in this level.