Beyond the herd: investigating livestock feeding strategies in the Iron Age Iberian Peninsula (3rd c. BC) through a multi-isotope analysis.

ABSTRACT: During the Iron Age, north-eastern Iberian communities relied on crop cultivation and animal husbandry for their subsistence. The latter was mainly focused on caprine, with sheep being prominent due to their suitability to the Mediterranean climate, orography, and environment. Despite the pivotal role of sheep in livestock husbandry, information on Iberian communities' feeding strategies for this species is limited. To address this lacuna, this study investigates the livestock feeding habits at four Catalan sites dating back to the 3rd century BC: Mas Castellar de Pontós, Tossal de Baltarga, Sant Esteve d'Olius, and Turó de la Rovira. Bulk carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) of bone collagen and sequential carbon and oxygen analyses (δ¹³C a

SUBMITTER: Messana C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11671557 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature