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

Abstract

The inclusion of faunal remains in funerary practices is widely documented in Iberian prehistory. For the late prehistory (Neolithic to Bronze Age), there is relatively more data than in earlier periods, with limb segments being very common, and complete animals are rarer. In Bronze Age contexts from South‐Western Iberia, a high percentage of human burials in subterranean chambers (hypogea) are associated with limb bones of cattle (Bos taurus) and sheep/goats (Ovis/Capra), along with other grave goods. Traditionally, this practice is interpreted as the result of rituals of commensality. In this paper, we present a different perspective. Besides commensality, we show that the inclusion of the same species and the same anatomical parts is a highly standardised behaviour. Beyond the tight connection between humans and animals, this pattern also points to a strong symbolism of these domestic species and to symbolic meaning of the anatomical parts themselves.

Between the 3rd and 2nd Millennia BC: Exploring Cultural Diversity and Change in Late Prehistoric Communities

“…Blanco-Gonzalez et al 2018). The changes in funerary contexts, where collective secondary burials are replaced by individual primary burials, is accompanied by the introduction of a highly standardised behaviour of adding to the grave the front-limb segments or isolated bones of cattle or caprids (Costa et al 2019).…”

“…and another association with rabbit. Cattle is represented solely from front limbs, whether articulated radius, ulna and carpals or isolated carpals (Costa et al 2019). As for Ovis/Capra, isolated bones, such as radius or carpals, were collected inside hypogea, and in one pit (FE152) at Montinhos 6 there was a cluster of limb bones, cranium and torso.…”

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

“…Moreover, the faunal remains associated with the funerary rituals in Torre Velha 12 and other sites of the southwestern Iberia [26] are no more than segments of limbs. This reveal a highly structured anthropogenic behavior materializing the cultural and symbolic values of the front limbs, in one hand, and of the animal itself.…”

“…Bronze age insertion of domestic animals in funerary contexts seems to be a common practice and is attested through the inclusion of cattle and sheep/goats segments of front limbs, in hypogea of southwestern Iberia [26] as documented in Torre Velha 3 [5][6][7], Outeiro Alto [4], Belmeque [14], Montinhos 6 [8] and Torre Velha 12, and, as well, through the inclusion of pigs, sheep/goats and cattle remains in funerary pits, as recorded in Horta do Jacinto [13] and Outeiro Alto 2 [12].…”

Las ofrendas de fauna en tumbas argáricas: nuevas perspectivas desde La Almoloya y La Bastida (Murcia)

“…La función paradigmática es responsable de una nueva apertura significante. Sobre los datos taxonómicos y anatómicos que la posibilitan, se han realizado los citados estudios recientes, al hilo del interés en los ajuares alimenticios en otros periodos y regiones de la prehistoria reciente peninsular (Garrido et al 2011;Garrido 2012Garrido -2013Costa et al 2019).…”