Il Cavallo e l’Uro: le prede dei cacciatori neandertaliani nella Grotta di Santa Croce di Bisceglie (BT)

The excavations of the University of Siena (1998-2011) in the external area of Grotta di Santa Croce (Bisceglie - BT) brought to light a series of sandy-silty stratigraphic units which yielded a lot of Middle Palaeolithic animal bones and lithics, predominantly characterized by the occurrence of discoid production systems. These units were covered by layers containing small quantities of Aurignacian and Gravettian materials. In this paper we present data on faunal remains from the Mousterian layers analyzed so far. This research outcomes confirm in some respects previous analyses. Only one out of the 638 identified samples belongs to Cervus elaphus. The rest is represented by horse and aurochs bones, whereas carnivores are completely absent. Killings mainly addressed towards adult individuals of Equus ferus and Bos primigenius are also confirmed. Bone sample is mainly composed of constantly fractured limb bones and isolated teeth. Articulations, phalanges, tarsal and carpal bones are scarcely represented. Missing skeletal parts were probably left at the killing sites or used as food or fuel. In spite of the abundance of isolated teeth, horse incisors and canines as well as aurochs incisors and premolars are only occasionally present.