Are there marrow cavities in Pleistocene elephant limb bones, and was marrow available to early humans? New CT scan results from the site of Castel di Guido (Italy)

• Published in: Quaternary science reviews Vol. 215; pp. 86 - 97
• Main Authors: Boschian, Giovanni, Caramella, Davide, Saccà, Daniela, Barkai, Ran
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2019
• Subjects: CT-Scan; Italy; Limb bones; Lower Palaeolithic; Marrow cavities; Marrow consumption; Palaeoloxodon antiquus; Pleistocene; CT-Scan; Marrow consumption; Limb bones; Lower Palaeolithic; Italy; Marrow cavities; Palaeoloxodon antiquus; Pleistocene
• ISSN: 0277-3791; 1873-457X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.05.010

CT-scan analyses were carried out on limb bones of straight-tusked elephants (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) from the Middle Pleistocene site of Castel di Guido (Italy), where bifaces made of elephant bone were found in association with lithics and a large number of intentionally modified bone remains of elephants and other taxa. CT-scans show that marrow cavities are present within the limb bones of this taxon. Though rather small compared to the size of the bones, these cavities suggest that bone raw material procurement may not have been the unique goal of intentional elephant bone fracturing, and the marrow may also have been extracted for consumption. •Elephant meat/fat consumed by Pleistocene Hominins worldwide, bones intentionally fractured.•Elephant bone tools (bifaces) relatively common, so fracturing necessary.•Was bone fractured for extracting marrow or fashioning tools, or for both purposes?•Literature reports no medullary cavity in extant/extinct elephant bones, so no marrow.•CT-scans reveal cavities, though small, hence both options possible.