Archaeozoological insights into avian exploitation in the Magdalenian of Belgium at the caves of Trou du Frontal and Trou des Nutons

The karstic area of the Lesse valley, located in the south of Belgium, has been at the heart of the development of archaeological research in the country during the 19th century. Numerous cavities have revealed remains of human activities documenting their use during the Palaeolithic period.

We present the results of the archaeozoological analysis of bird bones from the Trou des Nutons and Trou du Frontal recovered during the 19th century excavations in connection with Magdalenian artefacts. These two caves are located in the Lesse valley, close to each other, and near the Trou de Chaleux cave which is the most important Magdalenian site yet uncovered in Belgium. These new data allow us to compare the variability of human behaviours in contemporary Magdalenian occupations within the same microregion.

Our analysis documents the first evidence of human exploitation of birds at the Trou des Nutons and Trou du Frontal. Bird species exploited include geese, merganser, ptarmigan, black grouse and snowy owl. The use of large birds for crafts is only attested at Trou du Frontal and is consistent with what has been observed at the Trou de Chaleux. Tool marks linked to the removal of meat are observed at both the Trou des Nutons and Trou du Frontal. Given uncertainty regarding the chronocultural attribution of certain bones bearing anthropogenic marks, new radiocarbon dates were specifically obtained on these specimens. To maximize the chances of successful and reliable results, given the small size and light weight of bird bones, a dedicated protocol was designed. This involved near-infrared screening, proteomic analyses to detect potential contaminants, and dating using the MICADAS accelerator with a gas ion source, enabling the dating of very small carbon samples.  Experimentation were conducted to obtain a referential of scraping marks produced with metal-tools to compare with some marks observed on the archaeological material.