@article {331728,
	title = {Persistent predators: Zooarchaeological evidence for specialized horse hunting at Sch{\"o}ningen 13II-4},
	journal = {Journal of Human Evolution },
	volume = {196},
	year = {2024},
	month = {2024/11/01/},
	pages = {103590},
	abstract = {<p>The Sch{\"o}ningen 13II-4 site is a marvel of Paleolithic archaeology. With the extraordinary preservation of complete wooden spears and butchered large mammal bones dating from the Middle Pleistocene, Sch{\"o}ningen maintains a prominent position in the halls of human origins worldwide. Here, we present the first analysis of the complete large mammal faunal assemblage from Sch{\"o}ningen 13II-4, drawing on multiple lines of zooarchaeological and taphonomic evidence to expose the full spectrum of hominin activities at the site\&mdash;before, during, and after the hunt. Horse (Equus mosbachensis) remains dominate the assemblage and suggest a recurrent ambush hunting strategy along the margins of the Sch{\"o}ningen paleo-lake. In this regard, Sch{\"o}ningen 13II-4 provides the first undisputed evidence for hunting of a single prey species that can be studied from an in situ, open-air context. The Sch{\"o}ningen hominins likely relied on cooperative hunting strategy to target horse family groups, to the near exclusion of bachelor herds. Horse kills occurred during all seasons, implying a year-round presence of hominins on the Sch{\"o}ningen landscape. All portions of prey skeletons are represented in the assemblage, many complete and in semiarticulation, with little transport of skeletal parts away from the site. Butchery marks are abundant, and adult carcasses were processed more thoroughly than were juveniles. Numerous complete, unmodified bones indicated that lean meat and marrow were not always so highly prized, especially in events involving multiple kills when fat and animal hides may have received greater attention. The behaviors displayed at Sch{\"o}ningen continue to challenge our perceptions and models of past hominin lifeways, further cementing Sch{\"o}ningen\&$\#$39;s standing as the archetype for understanding hunting adaptations during the European Middle Pleistocene.</p>
},
	keywords = {Hominin subsistence, Hunting strategies, Middle Pleistocene, Taphonomy, Zooarchaeology},
	isbn = {0047-2484},
	doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103590},
	url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047248424000988},
	author = {Hutson, Jarod M. and Villaluenga, Aritza and Garcia-Moreno, Alejandro and Turner, Elaine and Gaudzinski-Windheuser, Sabine}
}
