Harvesting Wild Boar –a study of prey choice by hunters during the Mesolithic in South Scandinavia by analysis of age and sex structures in faunal remains

Abstract

The hunting of wild boar during the Mesolithic was studied by analysis of age and sex distributions in faunal remains from four settlements situated in Scania, Southern Sweden. The results show that the harvest of wild boar varied between different settlements. Piglets dominate the age distribution in the faunal remains of the sites of Ringsjöholm and Tågerup, which indicate a hunting of wild boar reflecting the age composition of living populations. In the faunal remains from the sites of Ageröd I:HC and Bredasten the age distributions are different, with mainly individuals older than 36 months, which is interpreted as the result of a selective prey choice of adults by the hunters. The sex ratio based on the osteometry indicates that females made up about two thirds of the harvest of the adult wild boar. The hunting seems not to have been directed towards promoting a sustainable harvest, but rather to maximise the yield of the hunt.