Mass animal sacrifice at casas del Turuñuelo (Guareña, Spain): A unique Tartessian (Iron Age) site in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula.
Authors: Iborra Eres Mª Pilar, Albizuri Silvia, Gutiérrez Rodríguez Mario, Jiménez Fragoso Joaquín, Lira Garrido Jaime, Martín Cuervo María, Martínez Sánchez Rafael M, Martínez Valle Rafael, Mayoral Calzada Ana Isabel, Nieto Espinet Ariadna, Rodríguez González Esther, Valenzuela-Lamas Silvia, Celestino Pérez Sebastián
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary Zooarchaeological examination of 52 animal skeletons recovered from a 5th-century BCE Tartessian settlement in southwest Spain has revealed compelling evidence of ritually staged animal sacrifice conducted over several years as the site was intentionally abandoned and sealed beneath a massive tumulus. The research team employed taphonomic analysis, microstratigraphy, and radiocarbon dating to establish three distinct sacrificial phases, identifying a predominance of adult male equids (41 individuals) and cattle (6 individuals), with smaller numbers of pigs and a single dog—a demographic profile inconsistent with natural mortality or disease. The deposit's organisation proved telling: early sacrifices in one quadrant showed weathering and scavenger damage suggesting exposure before burial, whilst the majority of animals from phases one and two were found as articulated skeletons indicating rapid interment, and phase three specimens bore butchering marks alongside evidence of plant offerings and burning, indicating ritual feasting. The selective breeding of mature males, paired positioning of certain equids, and progressive stages of carcass treatment point to a formalised ceremonial protocol accompanying the site's deliberate destruction—findings that illuminate the role of animal sacrifice in Iron Age Iberian religious practice and provide a valuable comparative framework for understanding ritual deposition patterns across contemporary European settlements.
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Practical Takeaways
- •This is an archaeological study with no direct application to equine practice, veterinary care, farriery, or physiotherapy
- •The work provides historical context for understanding ancient ritual practices but contains no clinically relevant findings for modern equine professionals
- •Practitioners should note this represents zooarchaeological analysis of archaeological specimens, not contemporary equine science or medicine
Key Findings
- •52 animals were ritually sacrificed in three consecutive phases over several years at a Tartessian Iron Age site (circa 5th century BCE)
- •Equids (MNI=41) and cattle (MNI=6) predominated, with selective sacrifice of adult males suggesting intentional ritual rather than natural mortality or epidemic
- •Phase 1 and 2 animals were deposited as articulated skeletons with prompt burial, while Phase 3 animals show processing marks consistent with consumption at ritual banquets
- •Taphonomic evidence including paired equid deposition, burned plant offerings, and deliberate tumulus sealing indicate organized ceremonial protocols accompanying site abandonment