Bring your animals: provenance and diet from the Iron Age mass animal sacrifice at Casas del Turuñuelo (Guareña, Spain)

Abstract

The excavations at the Tartessian monumental building of Casas del Turuñuelo (Guareña, Spain) uncovered the remains of a special event that took place before the intentional closure and burial of the building under an earth mound at the end of the 5th century BCE. During this event, a banquet was held inside the building, and at least 52 animals – mainly equids – were sacrificed in different stages in the courtyard. Sequential multi-isotopic analyses (87Sr/86Sr, δ13C, and δ18O) from enamel carbonate from a total of 23 teeth were analysed to assess the geographic origin and potential mobility patterns of 4 cattle, 3 sheep and 12 equid individuals recovered both from the courtyard and from the interior of the building. The strontium results reveal a diversity of origins and movement behaviours: some individuals showed intra-tooth isotopic variability, while others display very stable 87Sr/86Sr ratios throughout enamel mineralisation. Carbon and oxygen data suggest that horses were supplemented with fodder whenever necessary and had access to a stable water source to maximise their well-being during growth time. In contrast, caprines (sheep/goats) mainly relied on locally available pastures and water. This constitutes the most comprehensive study of equid provenance and diet in the south-western Iberia to date, and provides the first isotopic evidence for caprine mobility in Spanish Extremadura. Finally, the results provide new insights into animal management strategies and the cultural significance of Tartessian sacrificial rites.

This study was funded by the regional research project “R&D&I activities at the Casas del Turuñuelo archaeological site (2025-2026) (SN-IAM). General Secretariat for Science, Innovation and Technology, Regional Ministry of Education, Science and Vocational Training of the Regional Government of Extremadura. It was also supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through ‘Construyendo Tarteso 3.0’ (PID2023-149391NB-I00, funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by FEDER/UE) and the Junta de Extremadura projects IB18131 and IB18060. L.D.P. acknowledges financial support from Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through MORIA (PID2022-138010OB-I00) and the GR Geociències Marines Generalitat de Catalunya for 2021SGR01195 grant.