The main objective of my research is to investigate the dietary practices of Bronze Age populations at the site of Peñalosa (Baños de la Encina, Jaén, Spain) using the archaeozoological record as an analytical proxy. In this way, I aim to understand and evaluate the role that the procurement, preparation and consumption of meat played on the historical and social evolution of the inhabitants of one of the principal references of the Argaric society (2200 – 1550 cal BC) of the Upper Guadalquivir.

To this end, I am analyzing the entire spectrum of meso and macro mammals recovered from this site. The taxonomical identification of the faunal remains will enable to show potential preferences for certain species as well as according to their age and sex over time. In addition, I am carrying out a thorough taphonomic analysis to get data on processing techniques, food preparation and cooking techniques.

All these data will be analysed taking into account other archaeological material and the contexts associated with food preparation and consumption in the settlement. In this way, we hope to distinguish the structures connected with activities such as butchery, storage, cooking, consumption, and so on. All of them will help us to define possible social inequalities in both the domestic and funerary spheres. In addition, the data from the faunal studies will be compared with organic residue analysis carried out on ceramic vessels as well as with archaeobotanical studies to obtain a comprehensive view of food activities. Stable isotope analyses will be carried out too on selected samples in order to recognize key aspects of livestock management and the wild species consumed. These results will be contrasted with those already extracted from the anthropological record.

Finally, the aim is to conceive these results in the context in which Peñalosa is set, making a comparison with other settlements in its immediate surroundings.

Late Neolithic Britain (ca. 3200 and 2200 cal. BC) is known for its remarkable ceremonial complexes often linked to large-scale feasting events. Distinctive Grooved Ware vessels were deposited across several site’s structures and spaces, including houses, middens and pits. Recent excavations at the Ness of Brodgar, Orkney, revealed the largest pottery assemblages of its kind in Britain in addition to one of the largest bone collections in Neolithic Scotland allowing exceptional conditions for in-depth analysis to reconstruct the past. Previous organic residue analysis (ORA) studies on Grooved Ware pottery assemblages revealed clear indications for animal fat processing, however, small sample sets were used (n=<40) for inter-site comparisons without a clear understanding of intra-site functions. Through ORA, we investigated 340 pottery samples from the Ness of Brodgar using various methodological approaches. These included a combined lipid biomarker and compound specific isotope approach (GC-MS, GC-C-IRMS) using solvent and acid/methanol extractions, proteomics and examining the technological aspects of the pottery manufacture. This represents one of the largest datasets collected from a single archaeological site based on organic residues and allows the investigation of various activity zones within the Ness of Brodgar on a spatial and chronological scale. The dataset has been integrated into previously conducted ORA studies allowing more comprehensive inter-site comparison. Our analyses demonstrate excellent lipid preservation, with results showing the evidence of plant, ruminant adipose and dairy processing within the ceramic vessels as well as possibly distinct vessel uses, demonstrating the life history of a vessel.

In this Colloquium, I will present the recently discovered Bronze Age site of Cape Trafalgar (Cádiz, Spain). This site consists of two burial structures and related human remains. Based on the limited archaeological evidence available, it appears that the Bronze Age communities in this region subsisted on farming and marine resources. Therefore, Cape Trafalgar provides an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the lives of ancient populations in this area.

To study the lifestyles of these ancient populations, I utilized a bioarchaeological approach. This involved developing a standard bioarchaeological profile of the remains, and conducting a multi-isotope analysis to investigate the diet (δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S) and mobility patterns (δ18O, 87Sr/86Sr, and δ34S) patterns of the individuals buried at the site, and using the VERA method and external quantification of diaphyseal robusticity to reconstruct daily mobility activity patterns. If the people living in Cape Trafalgar relied on farming and marine resource exploitation, they should exhibit evidence of a mixed terrestrial and marine diet. Additionally, by combining isotopic analysis, the VERA method, and external quantification of diaphyseal robusticity, I expect to expand our knowledge of the Bronze Age populations of southwestern Iberia by reconstructing the mobility patterns of the sample studied. This research provides important insights into the little-known Bronze Age of southwest Iberia and lays the foundation for future studies aimed at reconstructing the lifestyles of past populations. Furthermore, our research provides a framework for future studies of Bronze Age populations in this area and beyond.