Herding Strategies and Economic Roles in Italy between the Middle Bronze and the Early Iron Ages: New Insights from Zooarchaeology and ZooMS Analysis

This paper presents the results of zooarchaeological
analyses conducted within the HERDS project, which investigates socio-
economic dynamics in Italy between the Middle Bronze Age and the Early Iron
Age. A selection of key sites was examined to provide a broad comparative
framework for understanding regional husbandry strategies. The study integrates
quantitative analyses of the main domestic taxa (cattle, caprines, and pigs) and
their relationship with wild fauna, kill-off patterns reflecting herd management and
economic exploitation, and morphometric and biometric data. These approaches
are complemented by ZooMS analyses, applied to refine taxonomic attribution
in morphologically ambiguous sheep/goat remains and to identify fragmentary
or otherwise unidentifiable remains. The results reveal diversified yet stable
animal economies, closely adapted to local environmental conditions and regional
contexts, and rooted in long-established management strategies rather than major
structural transformations. Observed differences primarily reflect ecological
and regional variability, highlighting the flexibility and resilience of prehistoric
subsistence systems in Italy throughout the second and early first millennia BC.
ZooMS outcomes are fully consistent with morphologically derived sheep/goat
ratios, while significantly improving taxonomic resolution and reinforcing the
overall robustness of the zooarchaeological interpretations.