Preliminary taphonomic analyses on the mammalian remains from Wulanmulun Paleolithic site, Nei Mongol, China

Nearly three thousand specimens of mammalian remains were unearthed from Wulanmulun Paleolithic site in Ordos, Nei Mongol, during 2010–2012 rescue excavations. The majority of the remains belong to medium and large sized hoofed mammals, particularly woolly rhinoceros. The materials are mostly fragmental and associated with thousands of stone artifacts. Taphonomic analyses show that the remains were subjected to little alluvial transportation but some weathering before burial. Only two kinds of bone tools, antler hammers and shaft points, were identified. The cut marks on the bones showed that the animals were mostly hunted and butchered on the spot rather than scavenged. The prey were likely lured or driven into the site and trapped in the muddy alluvial deposits and butchered near or after their death. The site is more probably a trap for hunting large animals and a follow-up butchery shop.