Hominin subsistence and site function of TD10.1 bone bed level at Gran Dolina site (Atapuerca) during the late Acheulean

A study of the TD10.1 bone bed level at Gran Dolina (Atapuerca) reveals deep-rooted hominin subsistence and occupational patterns, predating Middle Palaeolithic trends by over 300,000 years. The faunal record shows an almost exclusive focus on prime-age ungulates, particularly red deer, with abundant anthropogenic marks indicating diverse domestic activities. Taphonomic analysis suggests early primary access to carcasses, implying regular hunting strategies and long-term site use as a residential base camp. This challenges the notion that such behaviors emerged later in human evolution, providing evidence for selective predatory niches and complex social organization during the late Acheulean.

Rodríguez‐Hidalgo, A., Saladié, P., Ollé, A., & Carbonell, E. (2015). Hominin subsistence and site function of TD10.1 bone bed level at Gran Dolina site (Atapuerca) during the late Acheulean. Journal of Quaternary Science, 30(7), 679–701. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.2815