Relatively high 15N abundances in bone collagen of early anatomically modern humans in Europe have often been interpreted as a specific consumption of freshwater resources, even if mammoth is an alternative high 15N prey. At Buran-Kaya III, access to associated fauna in a secured archaeological context and application of recently developed isotopic analyses of individuals amino acids offer the opportunity to further examine this hypothesis. The site of Buran-Kaya III is located in south Crimea and has provided a rich archaeological sequence including two Upper Palaeolithic layers, from which human fossils were retrieved and directly dated as from 37.8 to 33.1 ka cal BP. Results from bulk collagen of three human remains suggests the consumption of a high 15N prey besides the contribution of saiga, red deer, horse and hare, whose butchered remains were present at the site. In contrast to bulk collagen, phenylalanine and glutamic acid 15N abundances reflect not only animal but also plant protein contributions to omnivorous diet, and allow disentangling aquatic from terrestrial resource consumption. The inferred human trophic position values point to terrestrial-based diet, meaning a significant contribution of mammoth meat, in addition to a clear intake of plant protein.

Department of Anthropology Faculty of Philosophy and Arts University of West Bohemia Sedláčkova 15 306 14 Pilsen Czech Republic

Department of Biogeochemistry Japan Agency for Marine Earth Science and Technology 2 15 Natsushima cho Yokosuka 237 0061 Japan

Fachbereich Geowissenschaften Forschungsbereich Paläobiologie AG Biogeologie Universität Tübingen Hölderlinstr 12 72074 Tübingen Germany

Hrdlička Museum of Man Faculty of Science Charles University Viničná 7 128 00 Praha Czech Republic

Institute of Archaeology National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Heroiv Stalingrada 12 04210 Kyiv Ukraine

Isotope Physiology Ecology and Geochemistry Water and Material Cycles Division Institute of Low Temperature Science Hokkaido University Kita 19 Nishi 8 Kita ku Sapporo 060 0819 Japan

Moravian Museum Zelný trh 6 65937 Brno Czech Republic

Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment Universität Tübingen Hölderlinstr 12 72074 Tübingen Germany

UMR 7194 MNHN CNRS UPVD Sorbonne Universités Institut de Paléontologie Humaine 1 rue René Panhard 75013 Paris France

UMR 7194 MNHN CNRS UPVD Sorbonne Universités Musée de l'Homme Palais de Chaillot 17 Place du Trocadéro 75116 Paris France

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