Iberian Neolithic herders were already strategically managing cattle herds 6,000 years ago

The study, published in the journal PLoS One, sheds light on the management strategies of prehistoric cattle herds and reveals an efficient pasturing system adapted to the environment's characteristics. It is also the first study to identify seasonal movements and a vertical mobility of this species (Bos taurus) in the Iberian Peninsula during the Neolithic period.

The research team used advanced isotopic and archaeozoological analysis techniques to reconstruct the mobility, vital cycle and feeding patterns of the animals. They conducted the studies with the remains of individuals dating back to between 3942 and 3632 BCE, found in the Cova de les Pixarelles. This site, found near the town of Tavertet (Osona), is located at 670 metres above sea level in a mountainous region which is characterised by the well conservation of animal remains. The large amount of Bos taurus remains, which represent approximately 80% of the total of animal remains recovered, make it a unique site in all of the peninsula, and particularly relevant in the study of the Middle Neolithic period (4500-3500 BCE).

The findings indicate that Neolithic communities using the Cova de les Pixarelles strategically managed their herds, moving them seasonally from low pasture lands to mid-mountain regions. This vertical mobility was combined with an ecological division of the herd: some animals were kept close to the site to ensure reproduction and access to milk, while others were sent to rich pasture lands found further away.

The cattle's diet was based mainly on C3 plants, found in open lands and mountain meadows. The carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses show that there were no signs of complementary feeding or intensive exploitation of pastureland under these human communities. "This fact reinforces the hypothesis of an efficient management with little direct intervention", states Roger Alcàntara Fors, researcher of the UAB Archaeological Research Group on the Mediterranean and Middle East (GRAMPO) who directed the study.

The study also identified a deliberate modification of reproductive cycles. Births were synchronised with the arrival of summer pastures, coinciding with the abundance of fresh pasture and eliminating the need to supplement with feed during the winter. This strategy also maximised milk production at key times.

The results “are the only data currently available on cattle herd management for Middle Neolithic chronologies in the Iberian Peninsula,” highlights Roger Alcàntara Fors.

According to researchers, the study points out the complexity of livestock strategies in the Middle Neolithic and the adaptive capacity of communities in diverse natural environments, and contributes to understanding how cattle were integrated into the economic and social changes of the period studied. They also highlight the fact that it establishes a basis for future research on human resilience to mountain landscapes and the socioeconomic dynamics of this key period in human history.

Also working on the study were Maria Saña Seguí, from the Early Foods research group of the UAB; Richard Madgwick and Alexandra J. Nederbragt, from Cardiff University; and Laura Viñas-Caron, from the University of Copenhagen.  

The research was funded by the Ministry for Science, Innovation and Universities, the ICREA Acadèmia programme and the PALARQ Foundation.

Reference article: Roger Alcàntara Fors, Richard Madgwick, Laura C. Viñas-Caron, Alexandra J. Nederbragt, Maria Saña Seguí. Cattle on the rocks: Understanding cattle mobility, diet, and seasonality in the Iberian Peninsula. The Middle Neolithic site of Cova de les Pixarelles (Tavertet, Osona) PLoS One. DOI. http: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0317723