Faunal Remains from Torre Velha 12 (Serpa, Beja, Southwest of Portugal): Relationship between Animals and Bronze Age Communities

Abstract

Torre Velha 12 is located in Serpa (Beja) and was excavated and directed by two of the authors (LB and SG), during an emergency intervention within the Alqueva Project. This site is characterized by negative structures filled with pottery sherds and other materials dating to the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE. The aim of this paper is to publish the study of the faunal remains dated from Bronze Age (2nd millennium BCE). The faunal assemblage is small and comes from non-funerary pits and from funerary hypogea. Other than a bone artefact and an undetermined shell fragment, all of the remains integrated in the pits were classified as mammals. Sheep/goat is was frequently found while other species such as cattle and swines had lower frequencies. Fragments of cattle limbs are the only faunal remains associated with human burials and reveal a clear taxonomical and anatomical pattern that may be an indicator of a careful and structured anthropogenic behavior. The aim of this paper is to understand the social relationship between animals and the Bronze Age communities.

The symbolic meaning of cattle and sheep/goat in the Bronze Age: Faunal inclusions in funerary contexts of South‐Western Iberia

“…The presence of isolated radius (Figure ) is more abundant in sheep/goats, whereas the articulation of the radius, ulna, and carpals appears mainly with cattle (Figure ). As an occasional practice, both species may be represented by isolated carpals: either cattle's carpals, as in one case of TV12 (Senra et al, ), or sheep/goat's carpals in another case of TV3 (Alves et al, ).…”

“…In fact, domestic animals are “bound by social relations of production.” (Ingold, : 88). Contrary to cattle, remains of sheep/goat are common in living sites (Costa, ; Delicado et al, ; Senra et al, ). Although they provide less meat and milk, they are agile and can travel long distances, having a different economic and social value.…”

“…(Ingold, 1980: 88). Contrary to cattle, remains of sheep/goat are common in living sites (Costa, 2013;Delicado et al, 2017;Senra et al, 2019). Although they provide less meat and milk, a totem, or symbols of real and symbolic properties of these animals (Russel, 2012).…”

“…In local living contexts of this period, cattle are rare or non‐existent (Costa, ; Delicado, et al ; Senra et al, ). Cattle may have had a higher symbolic and social status because they offer other products beside meat, namely, milk, driving force and transport, and raw material.…”

“…Faunal remains from M6, OA2, and TV12 were analysed by two of the authors (CC and MS) according to the methods published elsewhere (Costa & Baptista, ; Costa & Cabaço, ; Senra, ).…”