Résumé
As hunter-gatherers, neandertal groups were mobile, moving within their territory based on the availability of targeted resources. Their mobility was an integral part of their subsistence strategies. Level D of the Axlor site (MIS4, North-western Spain) is an ideal assemblage for reconstructing human habitats and seasonal mobility since, unlike most contemporary accumulations, that of Axlor is predominantly of anthropogenic origin. In this study we combined several proxies in order to reconstruct precisely Neandertal predation agenda: zooarchaeology, tooth eruption patterns and dental meso- and microwear. The study of dental remains from Layer D reveals that 99.26% of the remains are attributable to herbivores. Among these, the most represented taxa are Capra pyrenaica, Cervus elaphus, and cf. Bison priscus. Equus caballus, Capreolus capreolus, Rupicapra pyrenaica, and Stephanorhinus cf. hemitoechus are also present. The analysis of herbivore diets indicates that regional and local habitats were largely dominated by dicots, corresponding to heathlands or forests with some grassy areas. Estimates of mortality periods and durations suggest that the site was occupied by Neandertals only during the warm season during long or short repeated stays, with a slightly different hunting calendar depending on the species. The site was likely geographically situated at the intersection of the seasonal movements of several ungulate species, particularly in autumn. Thus, the ecological characteristics of Axlor Level D were especially favorable for animal-derived resources procurement by predators, in this case, Neandertals.