Equid use and provision during the Early Iron Age in Can Roqueta (NE Iberian Peninsula). Zooarchaeological study and first strontium isotope results

Abstract

This article reports the results of a zooarchaeological study (including, mortality profiles, and anatomical and pathological descriptions) of the Early Iron Age (8th-6th c. BC) equid remains at the Can Roqueta site (Sabadell, Barcelona), together with the first strontium isotope results to determine their geographical origin. The zooarchaeological study reveals a remarkable number of equid remains at the site, the bone pathologies of which suggest their use for riding, drafting and load-carrying. The mortality and sex profiles point to the presence of adult animals, while the absence of neonatal and juvenile remains raises the question as to whether these individuals may have originated from other sites specialised in equid breeding. The strontium values obtained from six individuals suggest that some equids were reared in a geological area with a similar strontium signature to that of the Vallès area, where the site is located. However, three equids present a different strontium signature, pointing to a possibly different geographical origin.