Hominin-large mammalian faunal dynamics at the prehistoric cave of lazaret (Nice, France): insights from recent studies

The prehistoric Lazaret Cave in Nice, France, excavated systematically between 1967 and 2017 under the aegis of Henry de Lumley, represents a key site in Southern Europe for investigating the cultural and behavioural transition between the Acheulean and Mousterian. Its 29 archaeostratigraphic units, spanning the late Middle Pleistocene, preserve abundant lithic, faunal, and occasional hominin remains that illuminate shifting subsistence strategies and adaptations of these populations. This paper presents a synthesis of recent archaeozoological and taphonomical investigations of Archaeostratigraphic Units 25-29. The large mammal faunal spectra comprise 25 species, with relatively stable representation across the units. Dominant taxa include red deer (Cervus elaphus), ibex (Capra ibex), and aurochs (Bos primigenius), accompanied by temperate-adapted species such as the straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) and rare cold-climate species like reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis), and wolverine (Gulo gulo). The faunal composition confirms the function of the Ligurian-Proven�al region as a refuge zone during glacial phases, maintaining continuity of temperate taxa. Taphonomic analyses demonstrate that hominins were the primary agents of faunal accumulation, engaging in systematic hunting, carcass transport, and processing, while carnivore intrusions were secondary and episodic. Age and sex profiling of ungulates, reinforced through cementochronology, indicates that occupations were seasonal, spanning autumn to late winter. These results refine our understanding of subsistence behaviours, palaeoenvironmental conditions, and the adaptive strategies employed by ancestral hominin populations in the northwestern Mediterranean corridor.