Ancient hunters, modern butchers

<p>The PhD thesis Ancient Hunters, Modern Butchers presents a first detailed study of bone material found together with spectacularly preserved wooden spears at the Lower Palaeolithic site of Schöningen 13II-4, in Germany. Analysis of a large sample of bone remains from this site revealed data being very relevant to the hunting versus scavenging debate in Palaeolithic archaeology. Excellent conservation of the bone material facilitated a thorough documentation of butchery traces and the reconstruction of early hominid subsistence behaviour at the site. The author argues that Schöningen 13II-4 represents a Lower Palaeolithic kill-butchery site where especially horses have been killed and butchered for multiple animal products. The results of this study seriously question the validity of models on marginal, more scavenging like Lower Palaeolithic hominid subsistence behaviour.</p>

《远古猎手与现代屠户》（Ancient Hunters, Modern Butchers）这篇博士论文，首次针对德国舍宁根13II-4旧石器时代早期（Lower Palaeolithic）遗址出土的、与保存状态极佳的木质矛伴生的骨骼遗存展开详细研究。对该遗址出土的大量骨骼遗骸样本的分析显示，所得数据与旧石器时代考古学（Palaeolithic archaeology）中关于狩猎与食腐的学术争论高度相关。骨骼遗存的极佳保存状态，为全面记录屠宰痕迹、重建该遗址早期古人类（early hominid）的生存行为提供了有利条件。作者提出，舍宁根13II-4是一处旧石器时代早期狩猎屠宰遗址，其中尤以马类被猎杀并屠宰以获取多种动物制品。本研究的结论，对那些主张旧石器时代早期古人类生存行为偏向边缘性且更依赖食腐的相关模型的合理性，提出了强烈质疑。