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# Hunting and livestock farming in early La Tène in Alsace, the example of Obernai PAEI

Élodie Sauvage, Clément Féliu

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Élodie Sauvage, Clément Féliu. Hunting and livestock farming in early La Tène in Alsace, the example of Obernai PAEI. Quaternaire 13 - Palaeoclimate changes, landscape evolution and human societies: from sedimentary basins to industrial landscapes, Mar 2022, Strasbourg, France. hal-03612630

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Submitted on 18 Mar 2022

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# Hunting and livestock farming in early La Tène in Alsace, the example of Obernai PAEI

Inrap

Institut national
de recherches
archéologiques
préventives

## The bones remains

The early La Tène structures excavated at Obernai (450-375 BC) outline an important rural settlement with a two hubs organization. They delivered a corpus of bone and dental animals remains composed of 1569 remains with a total mass of approximately 38 kg. This significant mass is due to the presence of thirteen animal skeletons, domestic and wild, more or less complete deposited in silos. The other remains constitute a characteristic rejection of meat consumption. Cattle, pig and caprineas are mostly consumed. Dog and equidea are also consumed but occupy a secondary place. Some wildlife remains, deer and boar, are also present in this rejection and show anthropogenic traces which confirm the consumption of these species

## Domestic animals deposit

These deposits are composed of dogs, sheeps and pigs. None of this subjects revealed any anthropogenic trace or significant absence of some anatomical parts related with their consumption. Their position in the structures indicates that they were carefully deposited; thus, it does not appear to be a simple rejection

of carcass. All dogs were found deposited in association with sheeps. The osteometry indicates that the dogs haven't the same morphology as those bearing consumption traces. These dogs don't seem to be for slaughter. The presence of caprinea and dogs deposited in domestic context is a common phenomenon for the period. It's difficult to found a explanation to this association between dogs ans sheep but it is not unreasonable to suppose that these deposits are the reflexion of pastoral activites.

## Deers deposits

Three deer were deposited in silos, two males and one female. None of these subjects, although they are carefully deposited, aren't complete. One in particular could be a trophy. Despite the absence of some anatomical parts, who reflect a partial consumption, all were discovered in connection. These bones don't bear antropogenics traces in relation to meat consumption. These deposits reveal a cynegetic activities in connection with aristocracy.

## Discussion

If the animal deposition phenomenon in silos is very common in Alsace and in France during the early La Tène, the deer presence in these particular contexts makes of Obernai a case that we haven't encountered anywhere in literature. Their presence and all the staging around it reveal the importance of the hunting for this population. This is also visible in the consumption rejection where wild species are presente in a proportion of 5%. At the same period, at Geispolsheim, their presence don't exceed 1%, with no remain of big game except deer antlers. At La Tène final period (130/60 BC) at Obernai, their portion is small (3,4%).

These comparisons show a differentiated use of natural environment according to the periods of Iron Age and as well as the sites. At Geispolsheim, an occupation richer than Obernai, no staging highlights the role of hunting, which is barely represented.

The Obernai's deposits demonstrated the importance of breeding and hunting for the population of this site. The first is more common for this period, but the second seems to play an unusual role.

**Contenu scientifique**
Elodie Sauvage (Inrap GE)
Clément Féliu (Inrap GE, UMR7044 - Archimède)

Thanks to Ana Lopez for correcting the English

**Inrap Grand-Est**
Centre archéologique de Strasbourg
10, rue d'Altkirch
CS 10042
67 027 Strasbourg Cedex
Tél. 03 87 16 41 50

www.inrap.fr

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**1 Composition of remain bones corpus of Early La Tène at Obernai.**

The mass of deer remains and, to lesser extent, dog remains is clearly overrepresented because of the presence of subject's deposits almost complete

NRd: nombre de restes déterminés, number of determined remains

PRd: poids de restes déterminés, weight of determined remains

**2 Dog and sheep deposit in structure 2083**

Both animals were deposited complete; bones, which don't show any anthropogenic traces, are in strict contact, indicating a simultaneous deposit.

Photo : A. Latron Colecchia

**3 Female deer deposit of the structure 1512**

The female deer was deposited complete, with exception of the left front of leg which seem to have been removed ; the decomposition has been carried out in an open environment although protected all the same : the skull rolled against the edge of the silo, a few centimeters below its initial position.

Photo : É. Guttman

**4 The deer deposit of the structure 1924**

Just the anterior part of the animal was deposited in connection ; the anterior left leg (scapula and humerus) and posterior right leg (femur and tibia) are also represented. The antlers bear cut

traces linked to the collection of raw material.

Photo : C. Féliu

**5 Proportions of different species present in the bone remains workpackage of Early La Tène at Obernai**

**6. Proportions of different species present in the bone remains workpackage of Early la Tène at Geispolsheim**

The deer are only represented by a antler's fragment, which could be a sheds antler.

Excavation: M. Landolt 2009; study: O. Putelat (PAIR)

**7. Proportions of different species present in the bone remains workpackage of la Tène finale at Obernai**

The wildlife is mainly represented by batrachians.

Study : D. Cambou.

for more information on the site

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