The Pena d’Água Rock-shelter (Torres Novas, Portugal) was excavated in 1992–2000, revealing a long stratigraphic and cultural sequence including Middle Neolithic occupations. A preliminary study on its fauna was published by Valente (1998) based on the 1992–1994 material, but the 1997–2000 campaigns remained unstudied. The aim of this study is to present the full fauna analysis of the layer Db, dated from the earlier phases of that period. Like other assemblages from the same time frame in the area, the fauna collection understudy is small. Its bones showed several surface and chemical alterations due to sediment pressure, exposure to fire and water percolation. Regarding the taxonomical abundances, most remains were classified as rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and sheep and/or goat (Ovis aries/Capra hircus). A few specimens of cervid, fox (Vulpes vulpes) and bird were also identified. The other fauna assemblages from the region show either the prevalence of the caprine component (as in Pena d’Água) or a higher abundance of cervids. This trend may reflect a specialized animal exploitation and we propose that the Middle Neolithic human communities in the Limestone Massif had a subsistence strategy based on caprine exploration, supplemented by some cervid (red deer) hunting. These hunter-herders groups were probably highly mobile and may have practiced some kind of transhumance (or itinerant pastoralism), for which the details are still unknown.

O principal objetivo deste trabalho é a caracterização das atividades pecuárias e cinegéticas praticadas no Castelo de Aracena, entre os séculos X e XVI. Os resultados mostram o predomínio dos animais domésticos: porcos, cabra, ovelha e bovinos, mas também equídeos e aves de capoeira. A presença de animais como o veado e o javali sugere que a caça seria uma atividade complementar. Foram ainda identificados o coelho e vários carnívoros. Os vestígios de moluscos marinhos e peixe testemunham o seu ocasional consumo. As estimativas etárias sugerem tratamento diferenciado dos animais. As modificações ósseas evidenciam o processamento das carcaças com objetivos alimentares e, por vezes, de tendões, peles e fabrico de utensílios. A relativa homogeneidade dos principais táxones ao longo das ocupações, e a abundância de suínos, algo raro em contextos islâmicos, possibilitam duas realidades: ou depósitos faunísticos relacionados com as ocupações cristãs, ou uma comunidade islâmica atípica.