The Magdalenian horse (Equus ferus arcelini) from Roc-aux-Sorciers (Angles-sur-l’Anglin, France): Seasonality and paleoecology

Abstract

Roc-aux-Sorciers is one of the most emblematic sites of Magdalenian culture, particularly known for its bas-relief and high-relief sculpted frieze depicting animals and humans, dated to the Middle Magdalenian. The stratigraphic sequence contains archaeological deposits corresponding to the occupations from the Middle Magdalenian, overlain by deposits from the Upper Magdalenian. The study of the horse Equus ferus arcelini, the preferentially hunted species, was conducted through various approaches (paleontological, zooarchaeological, palaeoenvironmental, dental wear analyses) to highlight a possible adaptation of these animal populations to the climatic and environmental changes recorded within the Magdalenian sequence, and to better understand the subsistence strategies of Magdalenian groups towards this fauna. In the Middle Magdalenian, in a steppe environment under cold and dry climate conditions, the site was repeatedly occupied for long durations by Magdalenian sculptors. Seasonality data indicate horse hunting in all seasons, suggesting sedentary to semi-sedentary equine populations in the territory. The results are consistent with dental wear analyses. In the Upper Magdalenian, the climate was cold and wet, and the environment more diversified and semi-open. Dental wear analyses show that horses were adapted to a more diversified and less abrasive diet compared to those of the Middle Magdalenian. Occupations were characterised as brief and seasonal.