Archaeozoological, taphonomic and ZooMS insights into the Protoaurignacian faunal record from Riparo Bombrini

Human adaptation to climatic variations is being discussed at different scales and from diverse perspectives and specializations in Paleolithic archaeology. We suggest examining human mobility on the local scale through the faunal record to better understand human-environmental 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 levels 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 taphonomic and archaeozoological analyses with integrated systematic ZooMS using a mass sampling strategy. The results 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.