Badajoz, Spain – Oct. 26, 2024 – A lavish banquet and subsequent animal sacrifice involving at least 52 animals, including 41 horses, took place around 2,500 years ago at the Tartessian site of Casas del Turuñuelo in western Spain, and new research reveals the surprising origins of those animals.
Ancient Rituals Uncovered Through Tooth Chemistry
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Scientists are reconstructing the lives of sacrificed animals by analyzing chemical signals preserved in their teeth, offering insights into diet, water sources, and movement patterns.
- The animal sacrifice occurred near the end of the fifth century BCE at a large adobe structure in the Guadiana River basin.
- Isotope analysis of animal teeth reveals that horses were brought to the site from multiple locations across the region.
- The study provides the most detailed isotopic investigation of equid management in southwestern Iberia during the Iron Age.
- Researchers determined that the animals were carefully selected and managed, indicating coordinated networks and deliberate planning.
The findings, stemming from analysis of teeth from 19 animals – 12 equids, four cattle, and three sheep or goats – demonstrate a level of logistical planning previously unsuspected for the period. The team’s work offers a fascinating glimpse into the complex social and economic networks of the Tartessian culture.
Tracing Origins with Isotope Analysis
Researchers meticulously examined 23 teeth, removing small samples along the length of each crown. Because tooth enamel forms over time, each section provides a record of the animal’s life during different stages of growth. The team measured strontium, carbon, and oxygen isotopes to uncover details about the animals’ origins and diets.
Strontium isotopes, reflecting local geology, helped pinpoint where the animals lived. Carbon isotopes revealed information about their diet, indicating consumption of C3 plants like temperate grasses and likely supplemental fodder. Oxygen isotopes provided clues about drinking water sources and seasonal climate patterns. Researchers established a local strontium baseline by analyzing animal bones already buried at the site and modern plant samples from the Extremadura region.
A Network of Animal Origins
The analysis revealed that most of the horses did not originate from a single local herd. Their strontium ratios matched areas in the western Guadiana valley, including zones near present-day Mérida and Badajoz, while one horse showed a signal linked to areas farther east or north. This suggests a deliberate gathering of horses from multiple locations.
Carbon and oxygen results from the horses remained consistent along each tooth, indicating stable feeding and watering during their growth. Genetic analysis confirmed the sacrificed horses were males between five and seven years old, considered their physical prime.
One donkey stood out, exhibiting shifts in strontium that indicated movement across different geological zones early in life. Its varying carbon and oxygen values suggested it was used for transport rather than being managed in a single location.
Local Cattle and Sheep
Cattle and sheep or goats presented a different picture. Their strontium ratios often aligned with the local baseline, suggesting they originated nearby. However, carbon and oxygen values varied more than in the horses, reflecting flexible grazing and water use on floodplains and surrounding fields. Some caprines showed limited movement, providing early isotopic evidence for small-scale mobility of sheep or goats in the region.
The combined data points to careful planning behind the ceremony at Casas del Turuñuelo. Organizers gathered high-value horses from specific parts of the Guadiana basin while utilizing locally managed cattle and caprines for the banquet. This selection process, along with the animals’ ages and origins, highlights coordinated networks and deliberate management rather than relying on a single local herd.
What did the animals eat before their sacrifice? The horses relied on temperate grasses and likely received additional fodder, while cattle and sheep grazed on floodplains and surrounding fields.
This study represents the most detailed isotopic investigation to date of equid management in southwestern Iberia during the Iron Age, connecting animal husbandry, exchange, and ritual practice at a pivotal moment when the Tartessian building was closed and buried.
