Leiden University Student Repository

Engelsman, Ellen den (2011)

De Cervidae van de Paleolithische site Schöningen, Duitsland

Bachelor thesis | Archeologie (BA)

The sites of Schöningen have been the subject of archaeological research since 1983. The location Schöningen is situated in a lignite open cast mine and was exposed to the surface by mining activities. The location Schöningen is divided into fifteen sites. A part of the fauna assemblage found at the sites Schö 12 and Schö 13 has been brought to the Leiden University for further study. The sites Schö 12II and Schö 13II have been formed during the Reinsdorf Interglacial. For this research the Cervidae specimens from the assemblage of these sites have been used. The Cervidae assemblage consists of 274 individual specimens which have been identified as Capreolus capreolus, Cervus elaphus and Megaloceros giganteus. Most of the specimens belong to Cervus elaphus and come from the layer Schö 13II-4. This layer is overall the richest layer of the site Schöningen, apart from the rich fauna assemblage of Schöningen there have also been other finds such as stone tools and the famous spears...Show moreThe sites of Schöningen have been the subject of archaeological research since 1983. The location Schöningen is situated in a lignite open cast mine and was exposed to the surface by mining activities. The location Schöningen is divided into fifteen sites. A part of the fauna assemblage found at the sites Schö 12 and Schö 13 has been brought to the Leiden University for further study. The sites Schö 12II and Schö 13II have been formed during the Reinsdorf Interglacial. For this research the Cervidae specimens from the assemblage of these sites have been used. The Cervidae assemblage consists of 274 individual specimens which have been identified as Capreolus capreolus, Cervus elaphus and Megaloceros giganteus. Most of the specimens belong to Cervus elaphus and come from the layer Schö 13II-4. This layer is overall the richest layer of the site Schöningen, apart from the rich fauna assemblage of Schöningen there have also been other finds such as stone tools and the famous spears from Schöningen, which were found in 1994 and 1995. It is interesting that the specimens of Capreolos capreolos cannot be found in the layer Schö 13II-4, the climatological changes are probably the cause for the disappearance of this species. The research question presented in this paper focuses on the occurrence of Cervidae species in the diet of the hominins that lived in the Paleolithic period. This question will be answered by researching the traces of human hunting activities on the available material.Show less

Author

Engelsman, Ellen den

Faculty

Faculty of Archaeology

Supervisors

Kolfschoten, T. van

ECTS Credits

10

Language

nl