Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-qxdb6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T07:22:38.462Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Birds of the Grotte Cosquer: the Great Auk and Palaeolithic prehistory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 May 2015

Francesco d'Errico*
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, England; & Sezione di Paleontologia Umana, Dipartimento di Anatomia e Fisiologia Umana, Universitá di Torino, Italy

Abstract

Striking among the figures of the Grotte Cosquer, the Palaeolithic painted cave newly discovered in Mediterranean France, are some waterbirds. They are identified as Great Auks, the great and extinct ‘penguin’ of the northern ocean.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alcalde Del Rio, H. Breuil, H. & Sierra, L. 1912. Les envernes de la région Cantabrique. Monaco: Imprimerie Chône.Google Scholar
Andrews, C.W. 1920. Remains of the Great Auk and Ptarmigan in the Channel Islands. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 51: 166.Google Scholar
Ascenzi, A. & Segre, A. 1971. II giacimento con mandibola neandertaliana di Archi (Reggiu Calabria). Acr.ademin Nazionale dei Lincei 5U[6) 51: 166.Google Scholar
Bédard, J. 1985. Evolution and characteristics of Atlantic Alcidae. in Nettleship & Birkhoad (1985): 151.Google Scholar
Bengston, S.A. 1984. Breeding ecology and extinction of the Great Auk [Pinguinus impennis): anecdotal evidence and conjectures, Auk 101(1): 112.Google Scholar
Birkhead, T.R. 1985. Coloniality and social behaviour in the Atlantic Alcidae, in Nettleship & Birkhead (19H5): 355–82.Google Scholar
Birkhead, T.R., Johnson, S.D. & Nettleship, D.N.. 1985. Extra–pair matings and mate guarding in the Common Murre. Uria aalge. Animal Behaviour 33: 608–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blanc, C.A. 1920. Grotta Romanolli I: stratigrafiadei depositi a natura e origine di essi, Archivio per I’Antropología e la Etnografía 50(1–4): 65103.Google Scholar
Blanc, C.A. 1928. Sulla presenza di Alca impennis Linn, nella fnrmazione pleistocenica superiore di Crotta Romanelli in Terra d’Otrantn, Archivio per L’Antropología e la Etnografía 58(1–4): 134.Google Scholar
Bosinskl, G. & Bosinski, H.. 1991. Robbendarstellungen von Gönnersdorf, Sonderveröffentlichungen, geologisches der Universität zu Köln 82: 81–7.Google Scholar
Bourdial, I. 1992. Une grotte bien ténébreuse, Science et Vie 894: 74–9.Google Scholar
Breuil, H. 1922. Palaeolithic man at Gibraltar: new and old fact, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 52: 4654.Google Scholar
Breuil, H. & Bégouen, H.. 1936. Quelques oiseaux inédits ou méconnus de l’art préhistorique, Congres Pré–historique de France 12: 475–88.Google Scholar
Buffon, G.L. 1853–55. Oeuvres completes 9: Histoire naturelle des oiseaux. Paris: Garnier.Google Scholar
Busk, G. 1868. On the caves of Gibraltar in which human remains and works of art have been found, Transactions of the International Congress of Prehistoric Archaeology, 3rd session, Norwich: 106–67.Google Scholar
Busk, G. 1877. On the ancient or Quaternary fauna of Gibraltar. Transactions of the Zoological Society 10: 53136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cassoli, P.-F. 1980. L’avifauna del Pleistocene superiore delle Arene Candide (Liguria), Memorie dell’lstituta Italiano di Paleontología Umana 3: 155234.Google Scholar
Cassoli, P. Segre, A.G. & Segre, E.. 1977. Evolution morphologique et écologique de la cöte de Castro (Pouilles) dans le Pleistocene d’Halie, Atti III Convegno Italiano di Ornitología: 251–1.Google Scholar
Clark, G. 1948. Fowling in prehistoric Europe. Antiquity 22: 116–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cleere, H. 1992. Editorial, Antiquity 66: 828–9.Google Scholar
Clottes, J., Bettran, A.. Courtin, J. & Cosouek, H.. 1991. Die Grotte Cosquer (Cap Morgiou. Marseille): eine neue jungpaláolithische Bilderhöli; unter dem Meersspiegcl, Jahrbuch des Hämisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums Mainz 38: 315.Google Scholar
Clottes, J., Bettran, A.. Courtin, J. & Cosouek, H.. 1992a. La Grotte Cosquer (Cap Morgiou. Marseille). Bulletin de la Societé Préhistorique Frangaise 89(4): 98128.Google Scholar
Clottes, J., Bettran, A.. Courtin, J. & Cosouek, H.. 1992b. The Cosquer Cave Dn Cape Morgiou, Marseilles, Antiquity 66: 583–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clottes, J., Courtin, J., Valladas, H., Cachar, H., Mercier, N. & Arnold, M.. 1992c. La Grotte Cosquer datée, Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française 89(8): 230–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clottes, J., Valladas, H. & Courtin, J.. I992d. A well-dated Palaeolithic cave: the Cosquer Cave at Marseilles, Rock Art Research 9(2): 122–9.Google Scholar
Eastham, A.. 1968. The avifauna of Gorham’s Cave, Gibraltar. Bulletin of the Institute of Archaeology 7: 3742.Google Scholar
Eastham, A. 1986. The birds of the Cueva de Nerja, in Jorda Pardo, J.-F. (ed.): La prehistoria de la Cueva de Nerja (Malaga): Paleolítico superior y Epipaleolitico. Trabajos sobre la Cueva de Nerja 1: 109–27. Málaga: University of Málaga.Google Scholar
Elorza, M.. & Sanchez Marco, A.. 1993. Postglacial fossil Great Auk and associated avian fauna from the Biscay Bay, Munibe 45: 179185.Google Scholar
Fortea, J., Corchon, M.S., Gonzalez Morales, M., Rodríguez Alesio, A., Hoyos, M., Laville, H., Dupré, M. & Fernández Trusguekkes, J.. 1987. Travaux récents dans les vallées du Nalón et du Sella (Asturies), in Clottes, J. (ed.), L’art des objets au Paléolithique: 219–43. Foix-Lc Mas d’Azil: Ministere de la Culture.Google Scholar
Garrod, D.A.E., Buxton, L.H.D., Elliot Smith, G. & Bate, D.M.A.. 1928. Excavation of a Mousterian rock shelter at Devil’s Tower. Gibraltar, Journal of the Royal Anthro-pological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 68: 33112.Google Scholar
Godfrey, W.E. 1966. The birds of Canada, National Museum of Canada Bulletin 203: 1428.Google Scholar
Gonzalez Morales, J.A. 1980. Interpretación ornitológica de los grabados, in Gonzalez Echegeray, J. (ed.), El yacimento de la cueva de ‘El Pendo’ [Excavaciones 1953–57), Bihliotheca Praehistorica Hispana 17: 257–61.Google Scholar
Grieve, S. 1885. The Great Auk. or Garefowl Alca impennis, itu history, archaeology and remains. London: Thomas C. Jack.Google Scholar
Grieve, S. 1888. Recent notes on the Great Auk or Garefowl (Alca impennis Linn.), Transactions of the Edinburgh Field Naturalists and Microscopical Society 20: 4256.Google Scholar
Grigson, C. 1989. Bird-foraging patterns in the Mesolithic, in Bonsall, C. (ed.). The Mesolithic in Europe: 6072. Edinburgh: John Donald.Google Scholar
Guiot, J., Pons, A., De Beaulieu, J.L. & Reille, M.. 1989. A 140,000 years continental climate reconstruction from two European pollen records, Nature 338: 309–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hardy, M. 1891. La station quatemaire de Raymonden á Chancelade (Dordogne), et la sépulture d’un chasseur de rennes. Paris: Ernest Leroux.Google Scholar
Harris, M.P. & Birkhead, T.R.. 1985. Breeeding ecology of the Atlantic Alcidae, in Nettleship & Birkhead (1985): 155204.Google Scholar
Leroi-Gourhan, A. 1965. Préhistoire de l’art occidental. Paris: Mazenod.Google Scholar
Mellars, P. 1978a. Excavation and economic analysis of Mesolithit: shell middens on the Island of Oronsay (Inner Hebrides), in Mellars (1978b): 371–94.Google Scholar
Mellars, P. (ed.). 1978b. The early postglacial settlement of northern Europe. London: Duckworth.Google Scholar
Mellars, P. 1987. Oronsay: prehistoric human ecology on a small island. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.Google Scholar
Mezzena, F. & Palma Di Cesnola, A.. 1992. Nuove manifestazioni d’arte epigravettiana della Crotta Paglicci nel Gargano, in Atti della XXVIII Riunione Scientifica. L’arte in Italia dal Paleolítico all’Etá del Bronzo (Florence, November 1989): 277–92.Google Scholar
Møhl, J. 1979. The bones from Hope Colony, in Gullev, H.C. (ed.), Ka pel H. Haabetz Colonie: 1721–1728: 215–30. Copenhagen: National Museum of Denmark.Google Scholar
Møhl, J. 1982. Ressourceudnyttelse fra norrone og eskimoiske affaldslang belyst gennen knoglematerialet, Grönland 30: 286–95.Google Scholar
Mourer-Chauviré, C. & Antunes, M.T.. 1991. Presence du Grand Pingouin, Pinguinus impennis (Aves, Char–adriiformes) dans le Pléistocene du Portugal, Geobios 24(2): 201–5.Google Scholar
Nettleship, D.N. & Birkhead, T.R. (ed.). 1985. The Atlantic Alcidae. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Nettleship, D.N. & Evans, P.G.H.. 1985. Distribution and status of the Atlantic Alcidae, in Nettleship&Birkhead (1985): 54154.Google Scholar
Newton, A. 1861. Abstract of Mr J. Wolley’s researches in Iceland respecting the Garefowl or the Great Auk (Alca impennis Linn.), Ibis 3: 374–99.Google Scholar
Newton, A. 1865. The Gare-Fowl and its historians, Natural History Review 5(20): 467–88.Google Scholar
Palma Di Cesnola, A. 1988. Paglicci. Rignano Garganico, Mostra iconográfica permanente. Foggia: Regione Puglia.Google Scholar
Payne, S. 1975. Faunal change at Franchthi cave from 20,000 BC to 3000 BC, in Clason, A.T. (ed.), Archaeozoological studies: 120–31. Amsterdam: North–Holland.Google Scholar
Péquart, M. & Péquart, S.-J.. 1926. Un kjokkenmodding morbihannais: Er Yoh: premier outillage en os o découvert dans le Morbihan, Revue Anthropologique 36(4–6): 206–11.Google Scholar
Péquart, M., Péquart, S.J., Boule, M. & Vallois, H.. 1937. Tévioc, station–nécropole mésolithique du Morbihan, Archives de l’Institut de Paléontologie Humaine 18: 1227.Google Scholar
Perlés, C. 1979. Des navigateurs méditerranéen.s il y a 10,000 ans, La Recherche 96: 82–3.Google Scholar
Perlés, C. 1987. Les industries lithiques taillées de Franchthi (Argolide, Gwce) 1: Presentation genérale et industries paléolithiques. Bloomington (IN): Indiana University–Press.Google Scholar
Pieper, C. 1985. The fossil land birds of Madeira and Porto Santo, Bocagina 88: 16.Google Scholar
Reni’rew, C. & Aspinall, A.. 1990. Aegean obsidian and Franchthi Cave, in Perlés (1979): 257–70.Google Scholar
Ruddiman, W.F. & Mclntyre, A.. 1981. The North Atlantic Ocean during the last deglaciation, Palaeogeograpby. Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 35: 145214.Google Scholar
Salomonsen, F. 1945. The Atlantic Alcidae: the seasonal and geographical variation of the auks inhabiting the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent waters, Göteborgs Kungliga Vetenskaps-och Vitterhets-Samhul les Handlingar, Serie B 3 (5):1138.Google Scholar
Sauter, M. 1948. Préhistoire de la Méditerrunée. Paris: Payot.Google Scholar
Serjeantson, D. 1988. Archaeological and ethnographic evidence for seabirds exploitation in Scotland, Archaeo-zoologia 2: 209–24.Google Scholar
Simpson, G.G. 1975. Fossil penguins, in Stonehouse (1975): 1941.Google Scholar
Sonnevillk-Bordes, D. DE & Laurent, P.. 1983. Le phoque a la fin des temps glaciaires, in Poplin, F. (ed.), La faune et l’homme préhistorique: 6980. Paris: Société Préhistorique Francaise. Mémoires 16.Google Scholar
Stonehouse, B. (ed.). 1975. The biology of penguins. London: Macmillan.Google Scholar
Tuck, J.A. 1975. The archaeology of Saglek Bay, Labrador. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada, Museum of Man. Mercury series 32.Google Scholar
Tuck, J.A. 1976. Ancient people of Port au Choix: The excavation of an Archaic Indian Cemetery in Newfoundland. St. John’s: Memorial University of Newfoundland. Newfoundland Social and Economic Studies 17.Google Scholar
Vaughan, R. 1992. In search of Arctic birds. London: T. & A.D. Poyser. Google Scholar
Violani, C. 1974. Ecología di un’estinzione: l’Alca impenne, Bollettino del Museo Cívico di Venezla 25: 4960.Google Scholar
Wlnge, H. 1903. Om jordfundne Fugle fra Danmark. Videnskabelige Meddelelser fra den naturhistorisk Forening i Kjøbenhavn: 61109.Google Scholar
Woodman, P.C. 1978. The chronology and economy of the Irish Mesolithic: some working hypotheses, in Mellars (1978b): 331–69.Google Scholar
Wyman, J. 1868. Note on the occurrence of bone of the Great Auk in a shell heap on Goose Island, Casco Bay, Maine.Google Scholar