Use of meat resources in the Early Pleistocene assemblages from Fuente Nueva 3 (Orce, Granada, Spain)

Abstract Over the last few decades, several types of evidence such as presence hominin remains, lithic assemblages, and bones with anthropogenic surface modifications have demonstrated that early human communities inhabited European subcontinent prior to Jaramillo Subchron (1.07–0.98 Ma). While most studies focused primarily on technologies raw material management, relatively little is known about food procurement strategies. there some showing access meat other animal-based resources, their mode acquisition associated butchery processes are still poorly understood. This paper presents a taphonomic zooarchaeological analysis Fuente Nueva-3 (FN3) (Guadix-Baza, Spain) faunal assemblage, providing more in-depth understanding subsistence strategies in Europe. The present results show hominins had marrow wide range animal taxa, including elephants, hippopotami, small- medium-sized animals. At same time, carnivore activity at site suggests these likely faced degree competition from large predators when acquiring processing carcasses.