Red deer vs. ibex hunting at a seasonal base camp in the Dolomites: Mondeval de Sora, site 1, sector I

Mondeval de Sora is situated in the heart of the Dolomites (south-eastern Alps, Italy) at an altitude of about 2150 m a.s.l.; this site represents a key deposit for the study of occupation and exploitation patterns of mountain areas in the southern slope of the Alps during the early Holocene. This paper contains the results of the study of the faunal assemblages coming from the Sauveterrian levels of sector I, located under the side of the erratic boulder facing south-east. The faunal assemblages of I sector come from two stratigraphic units (SSUU 8 and 31) and are characterised by a great variety of faunal resources: the most represented species are red deer and ibex, the hunting of which was favoured by the optimal location of the site, followed by a moderate quantity of chamois and roe deer. Wild boar is scarce and carnivores (bear, wolf and fox) are rare. The taphonomic analysis of the faunal macro-remains have demonstrated that the processing of animal carcasses, especially of red deer and ibex, were mostly carried out in the site.