Image Credit: University of Barcelona

Oldest Mule in Western Europe Found in Early Iron Age Spain

Researchers from the University of Barcelona have identified the oldest known mule in the western Mediterranean and continental Europe, dating to between the 8th and 6th centuries BC. The animal was discovered at the Hort d’en Grimau archaeological site in Castellví de la Marca, in the Penedès region, and has now been confirmed through radiocarbon dating and genetic analysis.
The mule — a hybrid between a donkey and a mare — was found inside what appears to have been a storage pit, along with the partially burned remains of a woman. The skeleton was originally unearthed in 1986 and is currently preserved at the Museum of Wine Cultures of Catalonia (VINSEUM).
According to the study, the dating places this mule in the early Iron Age, a period when Phoenician traders introduced donkeys to the Iberian Peninsula. This suggests that knowledge of equid hybridization reached Europe earlier than previously believed, likely transmitted through Phoenician commercial networks that linked the region to the wider Mediterranean.
The research team carried out a multidisciplinary analysis of the animal’s morphology, pathology, and diet using stable isotopes. Results show that the mule was a valuable working animal, fed high-energy cereal-based fodder and showing signs of extensive harness use.
The find also provides new insight into funerary practices. The association of a woman’s remains with an equid reflects burial customs distinct from later Iron Age norms, where horses were typically linked to male elite graves. The authors suggest that close interaction with Phoenician communities may have influenced such unusual local traditions.
Until now, the earliest confirmed mules in Europe dated to several centuries later, from the early Roman period. This discovery therefore pushes back the timeline of equid hybridization in Europe and highlights the northeastern Iberian Peninsula as a significant point of Phoenician influence.
Future studies will expand genetic and isotopic comparisons with horse and donkey populations across the Levant, Western Europe, and North Africa to determine whether this mule was bred locally or imported.

Published on: 03-12-2025

Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie

Source: University of Barcelona