Can bone surface modifications help to identify livestock pens? The case of the Iron Age settlement of El Turó de la Font de la Canya (Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

Identification of animal pens offers relevant information as to livestock practices in late prehistoric societies. To date, livestock pens have been identified particularly in caves thanks to the recognition of fumier deposits. However, that is more complex in open-air settlements because dung degrades more rapidly and macroscopic features are not often visible. In spite of that, these features have been recognised by microscopic analyses (e.g. soil chemical analyses, presence of parasites and spherulites) or by indirect indicators such as polished walls produced by recurrent rubbing by animals. This paper proposes the use of Bone Surface Modifications (BSM) as a possible indicator to identify animal pens in open-air settlements. Mechanical bone modifications resulting from either trampling or gnawing by pigs and by domestic herbivores are the main indicators. The current findings are gleaned from the faunal assemblage of the Iron Age settlement of El Turo de la Font de la Canya (Barcelona, Spain).