Animal Bones from the Late Neolithic Site of Ponte da Azambuja 2 (Évora, Portugal)

Abstract

Neolithic faunal assemblages are scarce in Portugal, and although some trends related to the beginning of domestication are now becoming understood, more data and further zooarchaeological analyses are necessary to fully understand them. Ponte da Azambuja 2 is a set of three Late Neolithic ditch enclosures located in the Alentejo region, Southern Portugal. It was discovered in 2008 by the archaeological unit Crivarque during the construction of a new irrigation system. Ditch enclosure 1 was excavated in two trenches, Locus 1 and Locus 2. A small faunal assemblage was recovered, showing high fragmentation mainly due to post‐depositional processes, which made the interpretation rather problematic. Although animal herding strategies are difficult to assess, it was possible to confirm the domesticate status of some of the taxa. Domestication appears to have been complemented by hunting – both red deer and leporids being present. The identification of burning, cut marks and worked bone confirms an anthropogenic faunal accumulation. Worked bone fragments suggest needle production and the production of potential ornaments. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.