Early Neolithic Husbandry in the Pre-Pyrenean Area. The Management of Herds at the Cova Colomera (Serra del Montsec, Spain) and Its Implications for the Early Occupation of the Region

Abstract

Abstract The Cova Colomera is located in the pre-Pyrenees, at a central point of a set of natural paths traditionally used by shepherds for herd movements. The Early Neolithic occupations documented in this cave (5250–4780 cal. BC) make it a key point for understanding the beginning of husbandry in the area. In this work, we present a zooarchaeological study of the macrofaunal remains recovered from these Early Neolithic occupations of the Cova Colomera. As observed at other sites in the region, the herds that occupied the Cova Colomera were mainly composed of domestic sheep and goats, raised for their milk and meat. Cattle, as well as a variety of wild animals, served as a food supplement and a source of secondary resources. The low number of recovered remains is interpreted as evidence of the low intensity and/or short duration of the occupations, which would have taken place at different times of the year, mainly in spring and autumn. This suggests that the Cova Colomera was used as a transient settlement during the movement of flocks. The data corroborate the idea that the natural resources of the pre-Pyrenees were exploited by the earliest shepherds in the Early Neolithic.