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Image Credit: Elvira Nimmee, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Food and Survival at Motilla del Azuer
Archaeological research at Motilla del Azuer in central Spain is offering an unusually detailed picture of daily life and food consumption in a Bronze Age community living nearly 4,000 years ago. By studying thousands of animal bones recovered from the site, researchers have reconstructed how its inhabitants adapted their diet to an increasingly dry environment.
Motilla del Azuer is a distinctive fortified settlement built on a flat plain near present-day Daimiel. Its deep well, reaching more than 16 metres underground, highlights the central role of water management in a landscape facing growing aridity. The new study focuses on a key occupation phase between about 1950 and 1875 BC, a time marked by climatic stress and population growth.
Analysis of more than 9,000 animal bone fragments shows that domestic livestock formed the backbone of the local diet. Sheep and goats were the most important animals, accounting for nearly half of the identified remains, followed by pigs and then cattle. These choices reflect practical adaptation: sheep and goats are well suited to dry conditions and require fewer resources than larger animals.
Hunting also contributed to the diet, but in a limited and targeted way. Small game, especially rabbits, was widely exploited, while large wild animals such as deer were rare. This pattern suggests an open, arid landscape where small mammals were abundant and large game scarce.
Cut marks, bone fractures, and traces of burning reveal how animals were processed and cooked. Meat was butchered with stone tools, bones were broken to extract marrow, and many remains show signs of exposure to fire, pointing to everyday cooking practices. Age profiles indicate that pigs were often slaughtered young, while sheep and goats were mainly raised for meat rather than for milk or wool.
Together, the evidence points to a carefully managed subsistence system. Farming, herding, and hunting were combined in ways that reduced risk and maximized resources in a challenging environment. The findings highlight the resilience and planning of Bronze Age communities in La Mancha, showing how diet and economy were closely tied to climate, landscape, and social organization.
Published on: 24-12-2025
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
Source: LBV Magazine