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Shepherds and sediments: Geo-ethnoarchaeology of pastoral sites

1992; Elsevier BV; Volume: 11; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0278-4165(92)90010-9

1090-2686

Jacques Élie Brochier, Paola Villa, Mario Giacomarra, Antonio Tagliacozzo,

Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History

Ethnoarchaeological and sedimentological studies of 9 cave and 21 open air modern sheepherding sites in Sicily have provided diagnostic nonfaunal criteria for the identification of herding activities and facilities in the prehistoric record. The most important durable indicators are the mineral residues of manure accumulated in sheep/goat pens and other physical traces of animal enclosures, namely: (1) spherulites, microscopic crystals of a calcium salt, diagnostic indicators of ovicaprine dung; (2) layers of burnt dung; and (3) rock polish produced by sheep/goat fleece and hooves on cave walls and stone blocks. Architectural features such as stone walls enclosing stock pens are complementary evidence. All these traces have been identified at several cave and open air Neolithic sites in the Western Mediterranean. The use of caves for herding in this area goes back to the beginning of the fifth millennium B.C. and appears to be as old as the beginning of the Neolithic in the region.