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4.5. The WFL-Site at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater (MIS 3)
4.5.1. Introduction to the Lithic and Faunal Assemblages of the WFL-Site
At the WFL-Site, in an incipient brown soil of Middle Weichselian age (MIS 3), several artefacts (n = 103) and an important number of mammalian remains (n = 475) have been recovered. The lithic material is made up of unipolar lineal and bipolar recurrent Levallois cores, two Quina side scrapers, several flakes, blades, points and chips.
On stratigraphical grounds, we estimated that the range of radiocarbon dating, which is the last 50,000 years, should just cover the activities of the late Neanderthals at the WFL-Site at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater. The Radiocarbon Laboratory of the University of Groningen (The Netherlands) processed and dated (AMS) a bone sample from the WFL-Site. The result was 45,440 +4450/-2850 BP (GrA-19889).
One of the main problems at the WFL-Site at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater is to identify the role the Neanderthals played in the accumulation and modification of the faunal assemblage. The question of subsistence, the way in which Neanderthals procured meat, is an aspect that is usually addressed when faunal assemblages of this date are analysed. Taphonomic analyses of faunal assemblages at other sites have shown that Neanderthals procured animal meat and marrow and used the bones as raw material for tools (Gaudzinski & Turner 1999). Cut marks and hammerstone-induced impact notches are standard attributes in faunal assemblages from archaeological sites where bone preservation is adequate.
4.5.2. The Macro and Meso Faunal Assemblage of the WFL-Site at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater
By Jean-Marie Cordy - Université de Liège - 2001
4.5.2.1. Faunal List
It is clear that the remains of Perissodactyls (horse and woolly rhino) are the most abundant (nearly 70%). The horse (Equus caballus) is the most prevalent species (nearly 43%), followed by the woolly rhino (Coelodonta antiquitatis) at more than 25% of all identified fragments. The hypothetical presence of the European ass (Equus hydruntinus) is based on a single mandibular molar tooth. The remains of Artiodactyls are less frequent than those of Perissodactyls. Among the former, the remains of the Bovids are best represented (nearly 10% of the assemblage). Only the presence of the steppe bison (Bison priscus) is attested (7%), whereas the aurochs (Bos primigenius) seems to be absent. The remains of Cervids are very rare and only the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) was recognised (nearly 2%). The mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) is also represented by six osseous or dental remains (more than 5% of the assemblage).
The remains of carnivores are few in number (little more than 10% of the assemblage), but relatively diverse (at least four species corresponding to four different families). The presence of the cave hyena (Crocuta crocuta spelaea) is well demonstrated (more than 6% of the assemblage), whilst the cave lion (Panthera leo spelaea), the arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) and the badger (Meles meles) reach each almost 1% of the total faunal assemblage. Hare (Lepus sp.) is also present (almost 2%).
The calculation of the minimum number of individuals (MNI) conveys little additional information, since the vertebrate remains are relatively few in number. It is, however, necessary to note the importance of the horse, and the relative importance of the woolly rhino, the steppe bison and the cave hyena.
4.5.2.2. The Presence of a Hyena Den
The indubitable presence of a hyena den in the immediate surroundings of the WFL-Site is indicated by the simultaneous presence of corroded and/or partially digested bones, by the remains of a coprolite and by the presence of some bones and teeth of the hyena. In the latter case, it is significant to note that practically all the excavated remains belong to very young individuals, which is proven by the presence of unfused long bones and milk teeth. They were probably still-born individuals, or they died in the first weeks after birth. These data thus imply that the place of parturition (i.e., the hyena den) is very close.
It is significant to note that the bones show gnawing marks of hyena or digestion traces. These phenomena are related to all the species of ungulates recognised in the WFL faunal assemblage at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater, including mammoth, woolly rhino, horse, bison and reindeer. These observations underline the eclectic and the opportunist character of the hyena diet.
4.5.2.3. Archaeozoology
The presence of a hyena den complicates the interpretation of the bones collected during the excavations, since there obviously is a mixture of a human occupation site and a carnivore den. In addition, the surface alteration of the fossils obliterated any trace of possible human activity on the bones. It is therefore impossible to separate the osteological remains on this basis.
Moreover, the fracturing of the bones could just as well be produced by the canine teeth of the hyena as by the hammer stone of the Neanderthals, which was found at the WFL-Site. Again the deterioration of the fossils masks possible differences between the two processes. Lastly, it is not possible to rely on the basis of the choice of prey, since hyena gnawing was observed on all ungulate remains recorded. It is currently not possible to provide detailed information on the hunting characteristics and the diet of the Neanderthals at the WFL-Site at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater.
The successive archaeological excavation campaigns at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater provide important new data on at least five separate Middle Palaeolithic valley settlements. The analysis of this data furnishes some valuable new insights into the behaviour of the Northwest European Neanderthals. At the Veldwezelt-Hezerwater Sites Middle Palaeolithic hominins were living, were extracting flint, were flaking and retooling, were hunting, butchering and making fire at different times during the late Saalian 2 (late MIS 6), the late Last Interglacial s.l. (MIS 5a) and the early Middle Weichselian (early MIS 3).
The "Veldwezelt-Hezerwater Project" has been made possible thanks to the generous support of all the scientific institutions involved. We especially would like to thank the Institute for the Archaeological Heritage (I.A.P.) of the Flemish Community, the Gallo-Roman Museum - Tongeren, the Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders (F.W.O.) and the Taakgroep Cultureel Erfgoed - Dienst Stadsontwikkeling en Grondzaken - Gemeente Maastricht. We would also like to thank the Communities of Lanaken and Riemst, the Province of Limburg (Belgium), the Province of Limburg (The Netherlands), the N.V. Vandersanden Steenfabrieken, BPF-Bouw, SFB-Vastgoed and the City of Maastricht.
We also wish to thank the many wonderful, dedicated and conscientious excavators who each year volunteer their time and hard work to help continue the excavations at Veldwezelt-Hezerwater; Chiara Boero, Mr. C.J. Bougie, Steven Brussé, Dr. Marc Coenen, Allan Coolen, Evy Cuypers, Elke Devroye, Philippe de Warrimont, Arend Garst, Steffan Giebelen, Klaartje Gysen, Nigel Harle, Bart Loos, Larissa Martens, Tineke Rooijakkers, Niels Rouwen, Marc Ruijters, Marianne Schaper, Huub Spronk, Jos Tenholder, Ilona Thewissen, Bettine Van Klinken and Johnny Vliegen.
Finally, we would like to thank the Community of Lanaken, because on September 13, 2002, we were rewarded the honorific title "Cultural Ambassador of the Community of Lanaken 2002-2003".
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Patrick M.M.A. BRINGMANS
Pierre M. VERMEERSCH
Frans GULLENTOPS
Albert J. GROENENDIJK
Erik P.M. MEIJS
Jean-Pierre DE WARRIMONT
Laboratorium voor Prehistorie
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Redingenstraat 16
B-3000 Leuven
Belgium
Jean-Marie CORDY
Evolution des Vertébrés et Evolution Humaine
Institut L. Frédéricq - Bât. L1
Université de Liège
Place Delcour 17
B-4020 Liège
Belgium
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