The site of Galeria (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain): a archaeozoological pattern for territory gestion during Pleistocene

At present, the subsistence strategies of hominids during the Middle Pleist ocene are of major interest in the archaeological research. The debate is f requently centred on whether hominids were hunters or scavengers, and as if those patterns were mutually excluding. The present paper shows how the At apuerca hominids populations were able to obtain large quantities of nutrie nts from scavenging animals that fell into the sink hole that makes part of the Galeria site. The analysis of Galeria's zooarchaeological record seems to indicate a high degree of planification, technological developpment and social links in these hominids. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medical es Elsevier SAS.