Body-part representation is often considered as a meaningful proxy to discuss carcass transport strategies. Occurrence or absence of some remains can be interpreted in terms of butchery activities. Small animal carcasses are generally transported as whole. Lack of fur-bearing mammal distal part of limbs and of caudal vertebrae is usually considered as evidence of skin use by Palaeolithic Hunters-gatherers. However, given their small size, the study of small mammal remains strongly depends on sieving conditions. Most of the time, these remains are indeed uncovered during sediment sieving. We conduced an analysis of body-part representation after sieving through different meshes, for several species well known for the quality of their fur. Apart implications about faunal spectrum diversity already highlighted by other studies, this research shows that chosen mesh-size can artificially create a body-part pattern consistent with skinning activities. Excavation methods have therefore a dramatic impact on interpretations concerning small game exploitation during Palaeolithic time. These results give prominence to the importance of mentioning screen-size used during excavation within the publications, in order to make any result proposed more legible.
