Indication for social interaction during the Central European Late Upper Palaeolithic: Evidence from the Magdalenian site of Oelknitz, Structure 1 (Thuringia, Germany)

The current paper reports on the faunal assemblage from Structure 1 at the German Magdalenian site of Oelknitz. The composition of the fauna is characterised by a dominance of horse. The horses were exploited for meat and marrow. A strict spatial separation of carcass parts is obvious, also observed at other Magdalenian sites, where the evidence was interpreted in terms of social interaction and food sharing. This is discussed against the contextual background of the site of Oelknitz. It is suggested that the way in which Magdalenians interacted socially is independent of site function.