In many cases in the past fish bones recovered during archaeological excavations atudUpper Palaeolithic sites were often assumed to result from human activity withoutudany consideration for alternate accumulation processes. Many of these assemblagesudhad not been analysed in a scientifically rigorous manner, with some receiving noudconsideration at all.udA review of current evidence and results of new analyses indicate that salmonidsud(salmon and trout) are the most frequently recorded fish at the European Palaeolithicudcave sites. Two potential accumulation agents for fish remains were explored: brownudbears (Ursus arctos) and eagle owls (Bubo bubo). Controlled feeding experimentsudintegrated with ecological studies indicate that salmonid remains survive the digestiveudsystems of both species and result in distinctive patterning in assemblageudcharacteristics. Post-depositional taphonomic processes, such as trampling, alsoudproduce distinct taphonomic signatures and are an agent of differential inter-speciesudpreservation. A thorough consideration of depositional and post-depositionaludprocesses of archaeological assemblages in central Italy (Grotta di Pozzo, Maritza, La Punta and Ortucchio) and Spain (El Juyo, Altamira, Salitre, Castillo and Rascaño) showsudthat the fish remains from these sites result from human activity. The overrepresentationudof cranial elements at the Italian sites suggest that fish were processedudby removing the head to perhaps smoke or dry before transportation to otherudlocations for consumption.udThis research lead to improved methods of analysis, and thus enhanced understandingudof the role of fishing and fish consumption in Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gathererudsocieties.
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