Paleoeconomy and mortuary practices in the Mediterranean Copper Age: zooarchaeology of the Bell Beaker assemblage from Padru Jossu, Sardinia (Italy)

Le résumé fourni par la source

The Bell Beaker phenomenon, as evidenced by its distinctive material culture, is regarded as a pivotal period of intensified connectivity in Western Europe and the Western Mediterranean, spanning several centuries from the mid-3rd millennium BC to different periods in different regions. The nature and mechanisms behind the diffusion of its markers have been under interpretive scrutiny for many decades, until the recent contribution of stable isotopes and ancient DNA supporting the reconstructed picture of an increasingly mobile lifestyle. Some aspects, however, remain elusive. This study addresses two key areas: the economic practices related to livestock, and the funerary practices recorded at the burial site of Padru Jossu in central southern Sardinia, with special reference to animal offerings. Whereas the context's human remains have been only partially morphologically and isotopically studied, the results of the comprehensive examination of the faunal remains are presented here. A substantial prevalence of caprines, found alongside and among the human remains, provided clues that could reflect management practices and ceremonial preferences across several generations. Data on age and skeletal districts provide clues regarding ceremonial use that are interpreted in light of available stable isotopic results, and then compared with evidence from other sites in the area across Sardinian prehistory and other surrounding Mediterranean regions. This illuminates apparent trends in management practices and contributes to our knowledge of Mediterranean Bell Beaker practices and economy, including potentially symbolic choices, adding to our knowledge of the diverse funerary rituals characterizing this cultural phenomenon.

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