Mesolithic deer hunting – Prey choice of red deer (Cervus elaphus) based on age and sex distributions

Abstract

The Mesolithic hunting on red deer (Cervus elaphus) has been examined by analysis of prey choice through the age and sex distributions based on dentition and morphometry of zooarchaeological remains from five Mesolithic settlements in Sweden dating to 9000–6000 cal BP. The results indicate a general selection of individuals aged 2–5 years at most sites, while the sex distribution was skewed toward either stags or hinds. The hunting was directed towards animals that provided high immediate and short-term returns of meat. Few observations point to hunting patterns that would have been associated to conservational perspectives of the red deer populations. A comparison indicates that local and site-specific differences in hunting practise can be discerned which probably was related to local conditions linked to environment, function of sites and hunting traditions, but no distinct correlation of hunting pattern to chronology or different regions. The study shows the potential to evaluate kill-off patterns in relation to optimal foraging perspectives restricted to one prey species.