The Importance of Fish, Fowl and Small Mammals in the Paleolithic Diet of the Swabian Jura, Southwestern Germany

Abstract

This paper reports the results of the first systematic attempt to compile diachronic, quantitative data on the abundance of small mammals, birds and fish in the diets of the Paleolithic inhabitants of the Swabian Jura. Here we examine diet breadth and the use of small game and show that faunal assemblages from the Middle Paleolithic, Aurignacian and Gravettian reflect a high degree of continuity in the use of large game accompanied by increases in the use of small mammals, birds and fish.