The exploitation of ungulates in the Magdalenian in the Entre-Deux-Mers (Gironde, France)

Irrespective of the size of the hunted games, the carcasses are incomplete. The post-cranial axial skeletons have been abandoned at the kill site. The limb and mandible bones are common, but differences are observed between the species exploited, reflecting either logistical constraints or nutritional contingencies. The resources used are diverse at the residential sites (skin, meat, marrow, tendons and hoofs). The marrow has been particularly intensely exploited regardless of the season; this advanced use does not however extend to the extraction of the fat. The results of this study indicate that, despite palaeoenvironmental and cultural changes, there were no real differences during the whole Magdalenian period in Gironde and that human groups remained faithful to the same traditions regarding the acquisition and processing of carcasses.