@misc{10481/82670,
year = {2023},
month = {4},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10481/82670},
abstract = {Venta Micena (Orce, Guadix-Baza Basin, Spain) is an Early Pleistocene locality renowned for the richness
and quality of its palaeontological record. VM is spread over an area of 2.5 km2, where several exposed
fossil outcrops are visible amidst its gorges and ravines. The best known of these sites, VM3, has been
interpreted as a hyaena den. In addition, a new site, named VM4, has recently been the focus of fieldwork
and taphonomic studies. The publication by Luz on et al. (2021) pointed out that VM4 presents a more
complex history than VM3. First, two different sub-levels were identified: VM4-I and VM4-II. Secondly,
the preliminary taphonomic analysis showed conspicuous differences with regard to VM3. Nevertheless,
such interpretation has been challenged by Palmqvist et al. (2022) who proposed that VM3 and VM4 are
both the result of a single depositional process, entailing the selective transport of skeletal parts by the
giant extinct hyaena Pachycrocuta brevirostris back to its den. Using well-preserved faunal elements
whose depositional context and provenance are reliable, in this paper we show that: 1) there are two
clearly defined sub-levels in VM4 with some shared taphonomic characteristics as well as some notable
differences; 2) VM3 and VM4 exhibit enough divergence to support differences in site formation processes; 3) The interpretation of both VM4-I and VM4-II is more consistent with their characterisation
as open-air sites in which multiple agents and depositional processes contributed to its formation, rather
than with hyaena dens. Nevertheless, excavations are still in progress at VM4 and therefore any results
and interpretations ought to be considered as provisional.},
organization = {Consejeía de Cultura de la Junta de Andalucia through the General Research Project Primeras ocupaciones humanas y contexto paleoecologico a partir de los depositos Plio-pleistocenos de la cuenca Guadix-Baza	BC.03.032/17},
organization = {Inside the Artefacts & Ecofacts" Excellence Unit (University of Granada)	HUM-607
PID 2021.125098NB.I00
MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER},
organization = {Una manera de hacer Europa	ProyExcel_00274
2021 SGR 01238},
organization = {Agencia de Gestio D'Ajuts Universitaris de Recerca Agaur (AGAUR)
Generalitat de Catalunya},
organization = {National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia	PRE2020-094482
CEX2019-000945-M-20-1},
organization = {Spanish Government},
organization = {Archaeometrical Studies. Inside the Artefacts & Ecofacts" Excellence Unit (University of Granada},
publisher = {Elsevier},
keywords = {Herbivores},
keywords = {Carnivores},
keywords = {Modifications},
title = {To den or not to den. Contributions to the taphonomic history of the Early Pleistocene site of Venta Micena 4 (Orce, Guadix-Baza Basin)},
doi = {10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108031},
author = {Sainz de los Terreros, Jose Yravedra and Solano, Jose A. and Serrano Ramos, Alexia and Cámara, José and Jiménez Arenas, Juan Manuel},
}