scholarly journals As faunas do final da Idade do Bronze no Sul de Portugal: leituras desde o Outeiro do Circo (Beja).

Author(s):  
Nelson J. Almeida ◽  
Íris Dias ◽  
Cleia Detry ◽  
Eduardo Porfírio ◽  
Miguel Serra

We present the results obtained from the analysis of unpublished faunal remains from the Bronze Age settlement of Outeiro do Circo (Beja). The materials provenance is diverse, corresponding mainly to one pit/silo from trench 3 and the areas near the defensive systems designated trench 7 and 8. Hunting strategies are complementary in the assemblage, with a predominance of sheep and goat remains, followed by cattle and swine. Kill-off patterns with the presence of young and adult individuals are suggestive of a mixed economy with the exploitation of primary and secondary resources. Although highly fragmented and affected by postdepositional processes it was possible to record several anthropization indicators related to the butchering process and thermo-alteration of remains by fire.

2015 ◽  
Vol 81 ◽  
pp. 107-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Evans

The interest which attaches to the history of extinct British animals can only be equalled by the regret which must be felt, by all true naturalists, at theirdisappearance beyond recallfrom our fauna (Harting 1880, 3; emphasis added).The implications of pit-deposits containing aurochs/Bos primigeniusskulls dating to the Bronze Age, found in two recent excavations in Bedfordshire are outlined. Involving a review of related findings in south-eastern England, these serve as a platform to consider the dynamics of aurochs extinction, which is held to have occurred in Britain by the middle–later centuries of the 2nd millenniumbc. It should be stressed that, although consulting many ‘expert’ colleagues, this paper is not written from a faunal remains-specialist perspective. It is essentially discursive and primarily intended to highlight a significant site-recovery trend. It reflects, moreover, on issues of broad social relevance. Holocene human-induced extinctions have both an inherent curiosity and poignancy. Indeed now, faced with currently threatened mass-species loss, they can even involve – beyond regret – a sense of cumulative guilt.


Antiquity ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (292) ◽  
pp. 438-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Matthews

The significance of zebu, or humped. cattle as potential indicators of episodes of aridification in the Bronze Age of western Asia is explored through study of figurines and faunal remains from Mesopotamia, the Levant and Anatolia.


Heritage ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 216-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Senra ◽  
Cláudia Costa ◽  
Ana Bettencourt ◽  
Lídia Baptista ◽  
Sérgio Gomes

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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brett Meyer

The Bronze Age tell settlement of Pecica “Şanţul Mare” in Romania is regarded as a regional center of the Mureş culture due to the flourishing of higher-status activity experienced during the Florescent Period (1820-1680 B.C.). Recent excavations at the site began to examine whether this higher-status activity was present during the Initial Period (1950-1900 B.C.), the earliest period, or if it grew out of the transition between these periods. This analysis compared faunal remains from the Initial Period and the Florescent Period to examine changing inequality over time. Species utilization, cull patterns, and body part representation were used to infer social organization during these periods. The combination of secondary product utilization, low quantity of horse, and presence of low quality meat during the Initial Period suggests that social inequality intensified over time and reached its pinnacle during the Florescent Period. These results can also be used to examine the development of social stratification in the Bronze Age as a whole. KEYWORDS: Pecica; Zooarchaeology; Social organization; Power and Wealth; Bronze Age; Elite Activity; Horse Breeding; Tell Settlement


1998 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
John A Atkinson ◽  
Camilla Dickson ◽  
Jane Downes ◽  
Paul Robins ◽  
David Sanderson

Summary Two small burnt mounds were excavated as part of the programme to mitigate the impact of motorway construction in the Crawford area. The excavations followed a research strategy designed to address questions of date and function. This paper surveys the various competing theories about burnt mounds and how the archaeological evidence was evaluated against those theories. Both sites produced radiocarbon dates from the Bronze Age and evidence to suggest that they were cooking places. In addition, a short account is presented of two further burnt mounds discovered during the construction of the motorway in Annandale.


2003 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-128
Author(s):  
Gavin Macgregor ◽  
Irene Cullen ◽  
Diane Alldritt ◽  
Michael Donnelly ◽  
Jennifer Miller ◽  
...  

Summary A programme of archaeological work was undertaken by Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD) at West Flank Road, Drumchapel, in close proximity to the site of the prehistoric cemetery of Knappers. This paper considers the results of excavation of a range of negative features, including earlier Neolithic and Bronze Age pits and postholes. The earlier Neolithic features date to c. 3500–3000 BC and are interpreted as the partial remains of a subrectangular structure. The Bronze Age features may relate to ceremonial activities in the wider area. The significance of these remains is considered in relation to the site of Knappers and wider traditions during the fourth to second millennia BC.


2005 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-195
Author(s):  
Brendan O'Connor
Keyword(s):  

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila Grecian ◽  
Safwaan Adam ◽  
Akheel Syed
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  

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