Gallus gallus at the Late Antiquity site of El Castillón (Santa Eulalia de Tábara, Zamora, Spain)

Abstract

A large number of zooarchaeological remains have been documented at El Castillón archaeological site (Province of Zamora, north-western Spain) and dated to Late Antiquity, in the 5th and 6th centuries cal AD. While most of them belong to domestic mammals, and a few to wild ones, remains of other vertebrates have been reported, among them birds. This article details the archaeofaunistic investigation of the galliform remains documented at the site. It focuses on the anatomic analysis of age profiles and taphonomic and biometric aspects. Through this research, we may conclude that the village practised poultry livestock and that domestic chicken was part of the inhabitants’ diet.