Loading...
2 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
- The symbolic meaning of cattle and sheep/goat in the Bronze Age: Faunal inclusions in funerary contexts of South-Western IberiaPublication . Costa, Cláudia; Bettencourt, Ana M. S.; Senra, MartaThe inclusion of faunal remains in funerary practices is widely documented in Iberian prehistory. For the late prehistory (Neolithic to Bronze Age), there is relatively more data than in earlier periods, with limb segments being very common, and complete animals are rarer. In Bronze Age contexts from South-Western Iberia, a high percentage of human burials in subterranean chambers (hypogea) are associated with limb bones of cattle (Bos taurus) and sheep/goats (Ovis/Capra), along with other grave goods. Traditionally, this practice is interpreted as the result of rituals of commensality. In this paper, we present a different perspective. Besides commensality, we show that the inclusion of the same species and the same anatomical parts is a highly standardised behaviour. Beyond the tight connection between humans and animals, this pattern also points to a strong symbolism of these domestic species and to symbolic meaning of the anatomical parts themselves.
- Intensive resource exploitation in Late Neolithic Iberia: bone marrow and subsistence changes at Branqueiras, central-coastal PortugalPublication . Costa, Cláudia; Fernandes Martins, Maria João; Cardoso, Vera; Cardoso, Guilherme; Carvalho, António Manuel Faustino deThe exploitation of bone marrow has long been recognised as a vital component of past human subsistence strategies, particularly for its nutritional value. While this practice is well studied in hunter-gatherer societies and in communities facing harsh environmental conditions, it is less understood in prehistoric farming societies and temperate environments. This paper presents the results of bone marrow exploitation at the Late Neolithic short term site of Branqueiras, located in the temperate central-coastal region of Portugal. The faunal assemblage reveals a significant percentage of intentional long bone breakage for marrow extraction, a practice that appears to have been overlooked in earlier and later periods. The site’s short-term occupation, radiocarbon-dated to 2900–2700 cal BC, coincides with a hiatus at the nearby long-term settlement of Leceia and occurred during a period of climate change characterised by reduced rainfall, hot summers, and cold winters. This study provides key insights into human adaptation to climate stress within established farming communities, a topic often underexplored in Neolithic–Chalcolithic contexts. The authors propose that the Branqueiras community repre sents a shift in human behaviour, as itinerant groups adapted to arid conditions by intensively exploiting animal resources, including domestic caprines, swine, wild game, and molluscs, while agricultural practices and cattle herding declined. In this context, bone marrow became a crucial source of nutrients, playing a significant role in subsistence strategies during this challenging period Phenolic compounds.