11-2025, tome 122, 3, p. 369-388 - Mallye J-B., Marquet J.-C. (2025) – Un nouvel exemple de la consommation du spermophile au Tardiglaciaire dans les niveaux du Magdalénien supérieur du Bois-Ragot (Gouex, Vienne)

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11-2025, tome 122, 3, p. 369-388 - Mallye J-B., Marquet J.-C. (2025) – Un nouvel exemple de la consommation du spermophile au Tardiglaciaire dans les niveaux du Magdalénien supérieur du Bois-Ragot (Gouex, Vienne)

Un nouvel exemple de la consommation du spermophile au Tardiglaciaire dans les niveaux du Magdalénien supérieur du Bois-Ragot (Gouex, Vienne)

 

Jean-Baptiste Mallye, Jean-Claude Marquet

 

 

Résumé : La collection de restes de cet écureuil terrestre (Spermophile) provenant du gisement du Bois-Ragot a été réévaluée afin de documenter le statut de ce rongeur et de contribuer à comprendre les pratiques alimentaires et économiques des derniers chasseurs de renne en France. Il s'agit d'une grotte fouillée par André Chollet et Pierre Boutin jusqu'en 1990 considérée comme une séquence classique du Tardiglaciaire qui livre les témoins d'occupations répétées par les Magdaléniens et les Aziliens sur près de trois millénaires. Près de 800 restes de spermophile provenant majoritairement des niveaux magdaléniens ont été recensés. Des questions quant à la paléobiogéographie de cette espèce sont soulevées au regard de la présence de restes de cette espèce dans les niveaux aziliens.

Les restes de spermophile sont concentrés dans certaines zones du gisement, reflétant peut-être des zones d'activité humaine spécifiques. La représentation anatomique souffre de quelques manques qui peuvent être expliqués par un tri sélectif des gros ossements malgré une récolte aidée d'un tamisage fin. Les traces anthropogéniques et l'absence de traces de prédation non humaine indiquent que les spermophiles ont été accumulés par les groupes magdaléniens pour la consommation de la chair et probablement celle des peaux. Les carcasses ont été cuites à proximité d'une source de chaleur. Les données indiquent une occupation du site durant la bonne saison, et, tenant compte des résultats issus de l'analyse des autres denrées animales, il est envisagé une complémentarité dans l'acquisition des ressources tout au long de l'année. La présence de stries sur certains ossements pourrait traduire des modalités de préparation différentes pour certaines carcasses par séchage et la consommation différée de la viande. Elle met donc en hypothèse la possibilité de mise en réserve des ressources carnées issues de la petite faune.

La chasse estivale de ce rongeur et la possible mise en réserve de la viande impliquent 1) la planification des actions de chasse par la capture des animaux au meilleur moment de l'année et 2) la constitution de stocks en vue de pallier la raréfaction des denrées durant la mauvaise saison.

 

Mots-clés : Tardiglaciaire, Magdalénien supérieur, spermophile, archéozoologie, petit gibier, trace de découpe, trace de cuisson, stockage.

 

Abstract: The end of the Late Glacial in south-western Europe was marked by rapid climatic changes that had a significant impact on environments and animal communities. During this period, game hunting was mainly dominated by the acquisition of large ungulates. However, the capture of smaller game animals, such as small mammals, birds or fishes, became more systematic and, in some cases, even more intensive. Among the small game hunted, the ground squirrel has a special place in several sites occupied by the last hunter-gatherers from the Magdalenians period. The aim of this study is to re-evaluate the collection of ground squirrel remains from Bois-Ragot cave in order to document its status among the known species and to help us to understand the dietary and economic practices of the last reindeer hunters in France. The Bois-Ragot cave was excavated by André Chollet and Pierre Boutin until 1990. It provides evidence of repeated human occupation at the end of the Late Glacial. This site can be considered as one of the classic Late Glacial sequences, yielding lithic artefacts animal remains and bone industries of repeated occupation by hunter-gatherers during the Magdalenian and Azilian occupations over nearly three millennia. The excavation revealed 4 levels, two of which were late Magdalenian and two Azilian, each characterized by its own tools and a faunal spectrum that more or less reflects local climatic and environmental variations.

This study resulted in the identification of almost 800 ground squirrel remains, mostly from Magdalenian levels. The remains are relatively well preserved, with a low fragmentation rate. The distribution of the remains shows concentrations in certain areas of the site, perhaps reflecting specific zones of human activity. The anatomical representation suffers from a few weaknesses, which can be attributed to the selective sorting of the largest bones, despite a recovery assisted by fine sieving. The age of the ground squirrels was estimated by dental maturity and the degree of ossification of the long bones. We were able to show that most of the individuals were captured before their first hibernation, suggesting that they were hunted during the good season. Anthropogenic marks on the bones, such as cutmarks and burning marks, indicate human consumption of ground squirrels. The presence of ground squirrel remains in the Magdalenian levels of Bois-Ragot is not in itself surprising, as other contemporary sites have previously yielded such remains. However, their presence in the Azilian levels raises questions about the paleobiogeography of this species. Post-Magdalenian ground squirrel remains have only been mentioned at the Pont d'Ambon; as these are small remains, it is difficult to be fully certain of their strict contemporaneity with the surrounding remains. In addition, contamination of Azilian remains in the Magdalenian level and vice-versa has been documented at this site. Direct radiocarbon dating of these remains could therefore be envisaged, which would help to fully document the paleobiogeography of this ground squirrel during the Late Glacial.

At Bois-Ragot, anthropogenic marks and the absence of traces of non-human predation indicate that ground squirrels were accumulated by Magdalenian groups for the consumption of meat and probably skins. The carcasses were cooked close to a heat source. The data indicates that the site was occupied during the good season and, taking into account the results of the analysis of other animal products, it is possible that resources were acquired throughout the year. The presence of striations on certain bones when the flesh can be removed with the aid of teeth alone is discussed. These striations could reflect different methods of preparing certain carcasses by drying and delayed consumption of the meat. It therefore suggests that meat resources from small fauna could have been stored.

This study adds the ground squirrel to the hunting list of the last Magdalenian hunter-gatherers and sheds light on their dietary and economic practices. It shows how the expansion of the human diet at the end of the Palaeolithic included a variety of small game, reflecting an adaptation to the environmental and social changes of the time. The summer hunting of this rodent and the possible hoarding of its meat meant that hunting activities had to be planned to capture animals at the best time of year, but also that stocks had to be built up to compensate for the scarcity of food during the off-season.

 

Keywords: Late Glacial, Upper Magdalenian, ground squirrel, zooarchaeology, small game, cutmaks, cooking marks, storage.

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