Determination of the age of cattle in archaeological bone remains based on the fusion of long bones in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. Some remarks
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17561/aytm.v32.9269Keywords:
Cattle, Age at death, Recent prehistory, Medieval period, Contemporary AgeAbstract
Currently, osteometric studies of archaeological faunal bone remains provide essential information for understanding the economy and beliefs of past societies. This, data such as the height at the withers, weight, or the age at death of animals allow us to reflect on issues related to meat consumption, secondary products (milk, hide, manure, etc.), or rituals associated to the corresponding cultures. In a high percentage of animal bone remains recovered, their state of preservation or fragmentation prevents us from obtaining a comprehensive view, which may lead us to errors. The exceptional discovery of complete skeletons, in this case of cattle from different periods, has allowed us in this study to question some of the standard cohorts used in archaeozoological studies due to the fusion, or lack thereof, of certain bones in relation to their complete skeleton.
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