ABSTRACT
The composition of Paleolithic faunal assemblages has been a hotly debated topic in terms of understanding early hominin foraging behavior and building evolutionary models. This chapter presents a reanalysis of major Lower and Middle Pleistocene assemblages in a comparative perspective separate from the baggage of the hunting-and-scavenging debate. It examines problems associated with density-mediated attrition focused on the famous FLK 22 locality at Olduvai Gorge, which has served as the basis for so much debate. The chapter presents a comparative analysis of animal-part representation patterns for medium-sized bovids for a range of Lower and Middle Paleolithic assemblages. It reviews other evidence in terms of the frequencies of elements from very large fauna, the hunting weaponry available to early hominins, and potential implications for the nature of various faunal acquisition tactics. The chapter synthesizes an organizational model of foraging behavior and mobility for Early Stone Age (ESA) hominins, arguing that the frequent movement around the landscape within a routed foraging system.
