Abstract:

ABSTRACT
In recent years, archaeology involved itself in solving one of the main challenges affecting our
knowledge of the Visigoth period: the lack of finds. This has led to the study of a number of
different types of finds, including faunal remains that, until very recently, had been
overlooked. In this paper we present an archaeozoological study focusing on animal taxa
identification, anatomical categorisation and the kill-off patterns of faunal remains from
seven sites in the Tarraconensis region (north-east of the Iberian Peninsula) dating from the
Late Roman period to the Early Middle Ages. It allows us to provide the first evidence of
changes and continuities in herding practices in this area. The results indicate that
ovicaprines, especially sheep, were the basis of animal husbandry, mainly for their meat, but
also for their milk and wool. We also document the disappearance of the Roman
period producer-consumer centre binomial pattern. We propose that this was due to the
fact that both rural settlements and urban centres would have attempted to guarantee a
diverse supply of animal products to be self-sufficient, and to generate some surpluses in
order to pay taxes and/or to trade.