Integrative approaches to the study of animal management practices during the Neolithic of South Iberian Peninsula: the case of El Toro cave (Antequera, Málaga, Spain)

Abstract

The introduction and adoption of livestock played a pivotal role in shaping subsistence strategies of populations in the southern Iberian Peninsula during the Neolithic. However, there is lack of information regarding animal management strategies, such as grazing areas and changes in foddering strategies, and their correlation with the environmental characteristics, type of site and use of the settlement. The study of feeding strategies of domesticates provides a crucial information about the interaction between the management of the environment, husbandry systems and the exploitation of animal products. In this study, we use the archaeozoological data and the δ13C and δ15N stable isotope composition of the faunal bone collagen to understand herding systems and management strategies during the Neolithic in Phases IV and IIIB at El Toro cave (Antequera, Málaga). Archaeozoological and isotopic results revealed diverse husbandry practices and feeding strategies in El Toro cave during the Neolithic. The variability in δ13C and δ15N values suggests the access of domesticates to different grazing areas and foddering strategies. This study contributes new insights into husbandry practices during the Neolithic and opens new perspectives for analysing animal management in mountain areas.