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Choose what suits you best: reproductive patterns and livestock management in the Iron Age Iberian Peninsula (3rd c. BC)

  • Identification data

    Identifier: imarina:9296438
    Authors:
    Messana, CTornero, CColominas, L
    Abstract:
    Isotopic analyses have proven to be an essential tool for obtaining more comprehensive and precise knowledge about past livestock strategies. Nevertheless, biogeochemical data for the Iron Age and, in particular, for the Iberian Peninsula are still very scarce. This study aims to provide a first and pivotal glimpse of sheep reproductive strategies adopted by north-eastern Iberian societies during the Middle and Late Iron Age, a period in which a process of urbanisation and agricultural expansion took place. Birth seasonality and the duration of the lambing period are here investigated through sequential oxygen isotope analyses performed on sheep's second and third lower molars from four relevant Catalan sites (Mas Castellar de Pontos, Tossal de Baltarga, Sant Esteve d'Olius, Turo de la Rovira). These are contemporary (third century BC) and are located in different ecological and cultural areas. Results display diversified sheep reproductive patterns and distinct demographical management in the four settlements, with manipulations both on the season and on the duration of the lambing period. Thus, we propose that herd management and exploitation were determined by specific economic demands and the social organisation and environmental conditions of each area. Therefore, through this biogeochemical approach, we have been able to demonstrate that the resources, knowledge and time involved in the organisation of sheep husbandry were much more complex and planned than classical zooarchaeological studies have so far documented, highlighting the importance of livestock farming as a key activity in the economy of the Iron Age Iberian communities.
  • Others:

    Author, as appears in the article.: Messana, C; Tornero, C; Colominas, L
    Department: Història i Història de l'Art
    URV's Author/s: Messana, Chiara / Tornero Dacasa, Carlos
    Keywords: Stable oxygen isotopes Sheep Seasonality Past herds Oxygen isotopes Ne iberian peninsula Mobility Middle-late iron age Lambing period Isotopic analysis Bone phosphate Birth seasonality Birth Animal husbandry strategies 6th
    Abstract: Isotopic analyses have proven to be an essential tool for obtaining more comprehensive and precise knowledge about past livestock strategies. Nevertheless, biogeochemical data for the Iron Age and, in particular, for the Iberian Peninsula are still very scarce. This study aims to provide a first and pivotal glimpse of sheep reproductive strategies adopted by north-eastern Iberian societies during the Middle and Late Iron Age, a period in which a process of urbanisation and agricultural expansion took place. Birth seasonality and the duration of the lambing period are here investigated through sequential oxygen isotope analyses performed on sheep's second and third lower molars from four relevant Catalan sites (Mas Castellar de Pontos, Tossal de Baltarga, Sant Esteve d'Olius, Turo de la Rovira). These are contemporary (third century BC) and are located in different ecological and cultural areas. Results display diversified sheep reproductive patterns and distinct demographical management in the four settlements, with manipulations both on the season and on the duration of the lambing period. Thus, we propose that herd management and exploitation were determined by specific economic demands and the social organisation and environmental conditions of each area. Therefore, through this biogeochemical approach, we have been able to demonstrate that the resources, knowledge and time involved in the organisation of sheep husbandry were much more complex and planned than classical zooarchaeological studies have so far documented, highlighting the importance of livestock farming as a key activity in the economy of the Iron Age Iberian communities.
    Thematic Areas: Historia Geosciences, multidisciplinary Geociências Ciencias sociales Ciencias humanas Archeology (arts and humanities) Archeology Archaeology Antropologia / arqueologia Antropología Anthropology
    licence for use: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/
    Author's mail: carlos.tornero@urv.cat chiara.messana@estudiants.urv.cat
    Record's date: 2024-08-03
    Papper version: info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
    Link to the original source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12520-023-01752-1
    Licence document URL: https://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/
    Papper original source: Archaeological And Anthropological Sciences. 15 (5):
    APA: Messana, C; Tornero, C; Colominas, L (2023). Choose what suits you best: reproductive patterns and livestock management in the Iron Age Iberian Peninsula (3rd c. BC). Archaeological And Anthropological Sciences, 15(5), -. DOI: 10.1007/s12520-023-01752-1
    Article's DOI: 10.1007/s12520-023-01752-1
    Entity: Universitat Rovira i Virgili
    Journal publication year: 2023
    Publication Type: Journal Publications
  • Keywords:

    Anthropology,Archaeology,Archeology,Archeology (Arts and Humanities),Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
    Stable oxygen isotopes
    Sheep
    Seasonality
    Past herds
    Oxygen isotopes
    Ne iberian peninsula
    Mobility
    Middle-late iron age
    Lambing period
    Isotopic analysis
    Bone phosphate
    Birth seasonality
    Birth
    Animal husbandry strategies
    6th
    Historia
    Geosciences, multidisciplinary
    Geociências
    Ciencias sociales
    Ciencias humanas
    Archeology (arts and humanities)
    Archeology
    Archaeology
    Antropologia / arqueologia
    Antropología
    Anthropology
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