The Faunal Remains From Grotta Guattari: A Taphonomic Perspective

Recent taphonomic and archaeozoologic analyses of the faunal remains of Grotta Guattari offer a radically different assessment of the cultural significance of this well-known cave site. Past interpretations cite the hominid and animal remains lying on the preserved cave floor as evidence of Neandertal ritual behavior. The taphonomic analyses reveal that the fauna from the surface deposit, which includes Neandertal cranial fossils, is largely if not wholly the work of denning spotted hyaenas. Of the faunas in strata below the surface, levels i and 2 represent a mixture of Mousterian hominid and hyaena-den components, while levels 4 and 5 contain culturally derived faunas. The unusual anatomical patterns for the ungulate remains in levels 4 and 5 are consistent with those of certain other Mousterian cave faunas in coastal Italy and suggest opportunistic procurement of red deer and aurochs heads by hominids.