. Bonner zoologische Beiträge : Herausgeber: Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn. Biology; Zoology. 200 W. Van Neer. Fig. 1. Map of northern Africa and tlie Levant showing the modem distribution of common otter (vertical hatching) and spotted-necked otter (obhque hatching). The archaeological sites in Egypt where otters have been found are indicated as follows: 1, Makhadma; 2, Catfish Cave. representation of otter in the tomb of Mereruka would rather be Lutra Intra. How- ever, because of their aquatic habits otters can spread most effectively through water- ways,
. Bonner zoologische Beiträge : Herausgeber: Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn. Biology; Zoology. 200 W. Van Neer. Fig. 1. Map of northern Africa and tlie Levant showing the modem distribution of common otter (vertical hatching) and spotted-necked otter (obhque hatching). The archaeological sites in Egypt where otters have been found are indicated as follows: 1, Makhadma; 2, Catfish Cave. representation of otter in the tomb of Mereruka would rather be Lutra Intra. How- ever, because of their aquatic habits otters can spread most effectively through water- ways, which would make Lutra maciilicollis a more likely candidate despite the large distance (southern Sudan) at which they occur today. The Makhadma sites and their fauna Eight remains of otter were found during the excavation of the Late Palaeolithic sites of Makhadma 4 and Makhadma 2 that were most probably occupied between 12500 and 12150 cal BC (Van Neer et al. 2000). These sites are located near Qena on the eastbank of the Nile, along the edge of the former floodplain (Vermeersch et al. 1989, 2000). They are situated on the lower part of a steep slope, but were on sufficiently high ground to stay out of reach of the annual Nile floods. The archaeological deposits of both sites represent middens rich in animal bone, flint, charcoal fragments and ash. Of the more than 40,000 faunal remains that were analysed, 12,500 were identifiable. The frequencies of the identified taxa indicate that fishing was the major activity on both sites, while hunting, fowling and mollusc collecting were practised only occasionally. Fishing focussed on a few taxa only (mainly Ciarías catfish and tilapia) and was practised in the floodplain. It appears from their size distribution and from a growth ring analysis of the tilapia otoliths that the fish were mainly captured after the maximum of the floods when the flood waters receded and residual pools started forming. The morphology of the valley botto
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