Shell game: Neanderthal use of the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) in the Last Interglacial landscape of Neumark-Nord (Germany)

Abstract

Abstract Data on palaeolithic subsistence is often obtained through studies of faunal palimpsests, containing remains of animal processing activities accumulated over non-quantifiable amounts of time. Compounding such site-specific data with evidence from other sites distributed over large areas - i.e. integrating data spanning large temporal as well as spatial scales - results in coarse-grained reconstructions of past prey diversity. In contrast, here we present prey diversity data from what is—geologically speaking—a “snapshot” of a ~ 25-hectare area frequented by Neanderthals during the Last Interglacial, with a focus on their exploitation of the pond terrapin Emys orbicularis . These data constitute the first evidence of turtle exploitation by Neanderthals north of the European mountain chains, beyond the Mediterranean basin. This Neumark-Nord record demonstrates that Last Interglacial foragers exploited a wide range of archaeologically visible resources available in this lake area, from small (~ 1 kg) pond terrapins up to and including the largest terrestrial mammals of the Pleistocene, straight-tusked elephants, with adult males weighing more than 10 tonnes. The abundance of intensively exploited medium- and large-sized mammals found alongside these Emys remains suggests that other variables than macronutrients per se played a role in the repeated harvesting of pond terrapins from these water bodies.