E. Latipes Horse (Equus Caballus Latipes) and Adaptive Strategy of the Population of the Upper Paleolithic in the Upper Black Sea Region

Abstract

Groups of Upper Paleolithic hunters-gatherers, created a specific life support system and thus influenced the ecological potential of the region. The process of the Upper Paleolithic hunters communities adapting to the environment was realized primarily through the nutrition as an element of the life support system. Thus, fauna fossils found during the archaeological research of the Upper Paleolithic sites are of the utmost importance for the study of a wide range of issues.

Bone fossils of Equus caballus latipes from the sites of the Upper Paleolithic period of the Upper Black Sea region are analyzed in the paper. Measurements of teeth and bones fossils of the postcranial horse skeletons are introduced into scientific circulation. Analysis of bone measurements and tooth study allows to state that hunting prey included both stallions and mares.

Most of the analyzed molars of horses from Anetivka II according the length protocone/postflexide index show certain (but not complete) similarity with the teeth of E. latipes from Mizyn site, studied by D.M. Drygant. The horses from Anetivka II differ from horses from Kostenki in some measurements of the leg bones. Consequently, we can conclude that there was a small, separate population of E. latipes in the area of Anetivka site.

The population of the Upper Black Sea region of the Upper Paleolithic included a horse into the range of hunting objects. The species was hunted, apparently, all the year round. The horse was a valuable hunting object, which gave a significant amount of meat and various raw materials. Animals were grouped according their age: foals and adult. Animals up to a year and very old animals were not found. The presence of different parts of the skeleton (including teeth and bones of the lower parts of the legs – metapodium and acropodium) indicated that the hunting places were relatively not far, and the prey was delivered directly to the territory of the site.

Analysis of the composition of hunting prey showed that in the western part of the territory of the Northern Black Sea region less number of horses was hunted than in its eastern part. It is evident that in the Upper Paleolithic period the number of horses in the west part of the Upper Black Sea region was lower than in its eastern part.