Abstract
Mammalian exploitation of the aquatic environment, particularly the marine environment, almost always leads to specific adaptations to this environment. This is not the case for humans, which raises the question of when this behavior first appeared in the hominin lineage. Among late Pleistocene and Holocene Homo sapiens, there are abundant examples of economies based partly or almost entirely on the aquatic environment. Aquatic fauna represents an important source of omega 3-rich food. Its exploitation influences the demography of human groups, their technology and degree of mobility, as well as their degree of complexity and social differentiation. For a long time, it was thought that ancient human forms made little use of this resource. However, several recent discoveries have challenged the simplicity of this view. The oldest site is FwJj20 (East Turkana, Kenya), dating back to 1.95 Ma. Alongside the remains of savannah ungulates, numerous catfish, small crocodile and turtle remains have been unearthed. These animals were collected seasonally from drying pools. Around 1.5 million years ago, fossilized footprints on the shores of East African lakes show the frequent presence of groups ofHomo erectus, sometimes quite numerous, pacing the banks.
A second milestone, also concerning this species, is offered by the Trinil discoveries in Java. In the alluvial deposits of the Solo River, humans left large lamellibranch shells open thanks to a simple tool provided by sharp shark teeth. One of these shells bears the engraving of a geometric sign, the interpretation of which remains controversial.
As for the Neanderthals, a series of sites on the coasts of the Iberian Peninsula and Italy testify to the exploitation of marine shells and, more sporadically and no doubt opportunistically, of a few vertebrates (seals, turtles). In Africa, the exploitation of marine shells by Homo sapiens is known from several coastal sites in the second half of the Middle Stone Age, and intensified during the Later Stone Age. For some authors, this systematic seasonal exploitation played a key role in the emergence of complex societies.
