title: Evidence supporting an intentional Neandertal burial at La Chapelle-aux-Saints.
abstract: The bouffia Bonneval at La Chapelle-aux-Saints is well known for the discovery of the first secure Neandertal burial in the early 20th century. However, the intentionality of the burial remains an issue of some debate. Here, we present the results of a 12-y fieldwork project, along with a taphonomic analysis of the human remains, designed to assess the funerary context of the La Chapelle-aux-Saints Neandertal. We have established the anthropogenic nature of the burial pit and underlined the taphonomic evidence of a rapid burial of the body. These multiple lines of evidence support the hypothesis of an intentional burial. Finally, the discovery of skeletal elements belonging to the original La Chapelle aux Saints 1 individual, two additional young individuals, and a second adult in the bouffia Bonneval highlights a more complex site-formation history than previously proposed.
authors.affiliation: Center for International Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Unité Mixte Internationale 3199, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-New York University, New York, NY 10003.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rendu
authors.forename: Cédric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beauval
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Crevecoeur
authors.forename: Priscilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bayle
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balzeau
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bismuth
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bourguignon
authors.forename: Géraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delfour
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Faivre
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lacrampe-Cuyaubère
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tavormina
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Todisco
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turq
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maureille
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001106:Archaeology / Q000379:methods*; D001842:Bone and Bones; D002048:Burial / Q000266:history*; D005580:Fossils; D005602:France; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D059125:Neanderthals; D010163:Paleontology / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Middle Paleolithic; Mousterian burial; archaeology; symbolic behavior; taphonomy