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Agents of accumulation of the Late Pleistocene bird remains in two caves in southern Istria (Šandalja II and Ljubićeva pećina)

The fossil cave of Šandalja II and the cave Ljubićeva pećina are located in Cretaceous limestones 4 and 13 km, respectively, to the east and northeast of the city of Pula. Although these sites today are located within a few kilometres of the coast, during the late glacial period (MIS 2), due to global regression of the sea, the sites were situated on the northern edge of the Great Adriatic Plain and the coastline was many kilometres to the south. Aim of this research was to examine, through detailed taxonomic and taphonomic analysis what were the main taphonomic agents of accumulation of birds remains, and do they change over time. A total of 1016 bird remains were identified (NISP - number of identified specimens). From the order Passeriformes, only the family Corvidae was analyzed ; other remains were only recorded as Passeriformes (NISP = 538). A total of 478 complete and fragmented bird bones were anatomically, taxonomically and taphonomically analyzed. Rich assemblages of bird remains have been found in Šandalja II (older assemblage: layers Cs – B/C and younger assemblage: layers Bd – Bg) and Ljubićeva pećina (trench B, two assemblages: “older”/ca. 15-16 cal BP and “younger”/ca. 10-13 cal BP). Following orders are represented: Podicipediformes, Pelecaniformes, Ciconiiformes, Anseriformes, Falconiformes, Galliformes, Gruiformes, Charadriiformes, Columbiformes, Strigiformes and Passeriformes. The avifauna from these sites indicates the existence of the various habitats in southern Istria during the late glacial period: aquatic, open, forest steppe, rocky, forest and mixed. The bird bone surfaces are generally well preserved and bear evidence of cut marks, burning, and gnawing. There are some weathering features, including eroded surfaces, fine line fractures, and slight root etching. The frequency of bone surface modifications does not vary dramatically by site or over time, with the exception of the unusually high frequency of burning in the “older” assemblage at Ljubićeva pećina as well as absence of gnawing marks in both assemblages from the same site (Figure 1.). The different taphonomic agents accumulated bird remains. Birds such as rock dove, raven, yellow-billed chough, red-billed chough, kestrel and owls probably roosted or nested in the caves or crevices near the caves and might have died naturally there, although some of them were prey of human or animal predators. Other species do not use caves and probably were brought there by humans or animal predators. Small carnivore gnaw marks are found on bones of falcons, ducks, hazel grouse, black grouse, great bustard, small bustard, and yellow-billed chough at Šandalja II. The relative abundance of the remains of small passerines is probably related to the activities of birds of prey (owls and falcons) that fed on them and regurgitated pellets under their roost and nest sites. Cut marks and to a lesser extent burned bones are evidence that humans used the birds. Some birds probably were hunted for food (e.g. ducks, grouses, partridges and bustards) but others might have been used not only for food, but also for other, symbolic purposes. Humans were important agents of accumulation of bird bones at both sites, which was expected since both caves are important archaeological sites.

birds; taphonomy; Late Pleistocene; Istria; cave

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