The Role of Birds in Upper Paleolithic Contexts: An Analysis of the Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) Wing Remains From the San Teodoro Cave (Acquedolci, Sicily)

The analysis of avian remains from archaeological contexts provides valuable insights into human subsistence strategies, symbolic behaviors, and human–environment interactions. Birds of prey, and large diurnal raptors in particular, are rarely documented in Paleolithic assemblages, and their presence is generally interpreted as nonalimentary. This paper presents the zooarchaeological and taphonomic study of seven avian skeletal elements attributable to a single individual of griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), recovered from Epigravettian levels of San Teodoro Cave (Acquedolci, Sicily), in association with ochre. The assemblage is composed exclusively of elements belonging to the right wing. The ulna exhibits a series of short, oblique incisions located along the dorsal diaphysis, whose morphology and anatomical distribution are compatible with anthropogenic manipulation potentially related to feather removal, although alternative functional interpretations cannot be entirely excluded. In addition, all elements display traces of red ochre on their cortical surfaces, documented through microscopic observation. The anatomical selectivity of the assemblage, together with cut marks consistent with intentional processing, argues a nondietary interpretation and instead suggests a targeted use of the vulture wing as raw material, possibly related to the extraction of feathers or other visually salient elements. Comparisons with coeval Upper Paleolithic sites across the Mediterranean indicate that similar practices were widespread. Within the insular context of Sicily, however, this represents an exceptional and unprecedented case, highlighting the role of a more complex and intriguing ritual and symbolic behavior among Epigravettian hunter-gatherer groups.