Payre is an early Middle Palaeolithic site located along the Rhône Valley (southeast France). In 2021, new human remains from layer Ga, at the base of the sequence, were identified. The site was originally a cave but underwent extensive transformation over time, with roof collapse resulting in the formation of a rock shelter. The cave was predominantly occupied by humans, although it was also used as a den by carnivores and bears. The sequence extends from Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 9 to the end of MIS 6 (Moncel et al., 2008; Valladas et al., 2008), based on ESR-U (Electronic spin resonance-Uranium) series, TL (Thermoluminescence), and TIMS (Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometr). The oldest stratigraphic unit containing archaeological material (unit G, comprising two phases of human occupation, layers Ga and Gb) dates to approximatively 250 ka, MIS 7 (Valladas et al., 2008). Before the identification of the new remains presented here, the site had yielded 14 human remains (12 teeth, a fragment of a parietal bone, and a fragmentary mandible), originating from several archaeological levels and attributed to the Neanderthal lineage (Moncel et al., 2008; Verna et al., 2020; Supplementary Online Material [SOM] Figs. S1, S2). During the reassessment of the material recovered between 1990 and 2002, new human remains were identified in 2021 by two of us (A.V. and B.B.). They consist of a fragmentary right hemimandible (Payre 16) and a parietal fragment (Payre 17) from level Ga, in close stratigraphic proximity (SOM Fig. S2), increasing the quantity of fossil hominins found at the site and contributing to our understanding of the pivotal MIS 8–5 period, characterized by the expansion of Neanderthals.

In this paper, we aim to present the first morphometric description of the remains used to assess whether the Payre specimens are consistent with the Neanderthal traits observed in the rest of the Payre assemblage. The second purpose is to discuss on paleopathological features on the mandible, focusing on the observed alterations and their potential implications for the individual and possibly the social group (e.g., conspecific care). Finally, we preliminary describe some striations observed on the parietal, waiting for further analyses for interpretation.