Cattle from the East, cattle from the West: diversity of Bos morphotypes in the Iberian Peninsula during late prehistoric and Roman times

Abstract

This paper explores changes in cattle size in the North-East (NE) and South-West (SW) of the Iberian Península from Chalcolithic to Roman times. Zooarchaeological data are contextualised with the ecological characteristics and settlement pattern of both areas. Results reveal significant differences in cattle size and morphology between the two areas, as well as changes through time. Jntegration of zooarchaeological, ecological and settlement data suggest that orography played a significant role both in the changes in settlement pattern and in the evolution ofcattle morphology in the two regions. In this sense, the fiatter orography and higher solar irradiation in the SW would have provided better ecological conditions far cattle husbandry. In addition, exchanges ofanimals were probably easier in the SW compared with the hillier orography of the NE. The Roman conquest hada dlfferent impact on cattle size as well: a clear size change was visible in the NE (where lron Age cattle were very small), whereas size increase was more subtle in the SW In both areas, cattle remained smaller compared to the large animals attested in North-Western Europe in Roman times (e.g. the Netherlands and France). These results pro vide a diachronic and wide territorial perspective to better assess what were the fáctors (ecological and/or social) that contributed to the changes observed on cattle size at two opposite sides of the Iberian Península.