Animal exploitation in SW Iberian Peninsula during the Neolithic period: A Zooarchaeological perspective from Barranco do Xacafre (Ferreira do Alentejo, Portugal)

Abstract

This study analyses the faunistic collection recovered at Barranco do Xacafre (Ferreira do Alentejo, Portugal). The intervention undertaken revealed two negative features interpreted as ditches, dating back to the second half of the 4th millennium BC (Late Neolithic). The main goal of this paper is to study the relationship between the Neolithic communities and animals from a sociocultural and economic perspective. In particular, it aims to understand the importance of domestication in relation to hunting activities and verify the use that was given to each species, as well as the strategies for exploitation of the carcasses and management of animal resources. The collection is composed mostly of mammalian fauna, where sheep and goat as well as cow and aurochs are the prevalent species, while pig, wild boar and dog are significantly less represented. Domestic and/or wild horse and cervids, namely red deer and roe deer are also significant. The malacological remains observed correspond to bivalves, such as the scallop, the clam, the mussel and the smooth clam. Fragments of undetermined passeriform birds were also identified. The results revealed a significant presence of wild but also domestic species, indicating exploitation strategies based on both hunting and pastoralism.