{"id":93042,"date":"2024-04-22T11:58:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T09:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/?p=93042"},"modified":"2024-04-22T20:20:19","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T18:20:19","slug":"thesis-chiara-messana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/en\/actualitat\/noticies\/2024\/thesis-chiara-messana\/","title":{"rendered":"A thesis on livestock practices in the Iron Age highlights the good results of the interdisciplinary research of the CERCA centers IPHES and ICAC"},"content":{"rendered":"
Chiara Messana defended her doctoral thesis on the characterization of livestock practices by Iberian communities during the Iron Age.<\/h6>\n

On Friday, April 19, 2024, in the Abric Roman\u00ed room at IPHES-CERCA and within the framework of the Doctoral Program in Quaternary and Prehistory of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, the defense of the doctoral thesis “Tales of Sheep in the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula during the Iron Age (3rd century BC): a multi-isotope research” by Chiara Messana<\/strong> took place.<\/p>\n

The thesis, co-directed by Dr. Carles Tornero, a researcher at the Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona and IPHES-CERCA, and by Dr. L\u00eddia Colominas<\/strong><\/a>, a researcher at the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC-CERCA), was defended before the tribunal composed by Dr. M. Carme Belarte<\/a> (ICREA-ICAC-IEC), Dr. Juliette Knockaert (Aix-Marseille Universit\u00e9), and Dr. Patricia Mart\u00edn (IPHES-CERCA).<\/p>\n

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Chiara Messana’s doctoral thesis was defended before the tribunal formed by Dr. M. Carme Belarte (ICREA-ICAC-IEC), Dr. Juliette Knockaert (Aix-Marseille Universit\u00e9), and Dr. Patricia Mart\u00edn (IPHES-CERCA). Photo: Maria D. Guill\u00e9n \/ IPHES-CERCA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The study focused on livestock management during the Iron Age and among the Iberian communities of the northeastern Iberian Peninsula, as there had been insufficient data and information until now. These societies relied on cereal agriculture and livestock for their subsistence, especially sheep. This species was predominant due to its adaptability to the climate, topography, and Mediterranean environment, as well as the wide range of products it provided.<\/p>\n

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Messana’s doctoral thesis employed a biogeochemical approach (stable isotopes) to gain a new and comprehensive understanding of livestock management strategies adopted at four relevant sites in present-day Catalonia<\/strong>, dated to the 3rd century BC: Mas Castellar de Pont\u00f3s, Tossal de Baltarga, Sant Esteve d’Olius, and Tur\u00f3 de la Rovira.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The use of multi-isotopic analysis<\/strong> has enabled the investigation, with direct evidence and seasonal resolution, of the three fundamental aspects of each livestock system: reproduction patterns, mobility strategies, and dietary habits of sheep.<\/p>\n

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Chiara Messana (IPHES) defended her doctoral thesis (co-supervised by Dr. L\u00eddia Colominas, from the GIAP group) on livestock practices in the Iron Age at IPHES-CERCA on April 19, 2024. Photo: Maria D. Guill\u00e9n \/ IPHES-CERCA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Firstly, sequential analyses of the oxygen isotopic values (\u03b418O) in the second and third molars of sheep have revealed various reproduction patterns, with anthropogenic manipulation of both the season and the duration of the birthing period.<\/p>\n

Secondly, the combination of sequential analyses of \u03b418O and carbon (\u03b413C) values with the isotopic ratios of strontium (87Sr\/86Sr) in the dental enamel of sheep has revealed herd movements in different altitudinal and geological areas. However, herd mobility was not widespread. Additionally, the first evidence of the downward mobility of herds from the Pyrenees to the lowlands has been recorded, suggesting an image of a more integrated and connected Ibero-Pyrenean world than previously recognized.<\/p>\n

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Thirdly, isotopic analyses of \u03b413C and nitrogen (\u03b415N) in bone collagen, combined with sequential analyses of \u03b413C and \u03b418O isotopic values in teeth, have provided information on the dietary habits of sheep. The results indicate minimal variations in diet, with a predominance of C3 plant consumption, and nutritional habits subject to seasonal changes. Other major domestic species were subjected to individualized nutritional strategies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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En general, este estudio multiisot\u00f3pico marca un paso decisivo en la caracterizaci\u00f3n y comprensi\u00f3n de las pr\u00e1cticas ganaderas ovinas adoptadas por las comunidades \u00edberas de la Edad del Hierro<\/strong>. Los resultados muestran una ganader\u00eda autosuficiente en cada uno de los cuatro asentamientos. Sin embargo, la ganader\u00eda era compleja a escala local. De hecho, cada comunidad eleg\u00eda las estrategias que adoptar en funci\u00f3n de las necesidades espec\u00edficas del asentamiento, considerando los productos a explotar, las condiciones ambientales, las necesidades econ\u00f3micas y las decisiones pol\u00edticas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Estos excelentes resultados forman parte de la investigaci\u00f3n interdisciplinaria entre los equipos de los centros IPHES-CERCA, ICAC-CERCA y la UAB, que han sabido combinar su experiencia y capacidad de an\u00e1lisis para lograr mejores resultados<\/strong>. A finales de 2023, pudimos ver un \u00e9xito notable de esta colaboraci\u00f3n, con la publicaci\u00f3n de un estudio en la revista Frontiers in\u00a0Environmental Archaeology<\/em><\/a> que demostraba que las comunidades \u00edberas de Catalu\u00f1a practicaban movimientos altitudinales estacionales: Las ra\u00edces de la trashumancia tienen 2.500 a\u00f1os de antig\u00fcedad<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mand\u00edbula de oveja procedente del yacimiento Mas Castellar de Pont\u00f3s despu\u00e9s de realizar el an\u00e1lisis de is\u00f3topos. Autor\u00eda: IPHES-CERCA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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About the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC-CERCA)<\/h6>\n

The\u00a0Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC-CERCA)<\/a>\u00a0is\u00a0a CERCA center<\/strong>\u00a0established as a consortium in 2003 by the Government of Catalonia and the Rovira i Virgili University. It is a Catalan institution with an international scope, at the forefront of research and conservation of archaeological heritage. Its headquarters are located in Tarragona, a city recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2000. Its researchers work to understand the past through the study of archaeological remains and promote the preservation of the historical legacy. We are CERCA!<\/p>\n

For more information, visit\u00a0www.icac.cat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Chiara Messana defended her doctoral thesis on the characterization of livestock practices by Iberian communities during the Iron Age. On Friday, April 19, 2024, in the Abric Roman\u00ed room at IPHES-CERCA and within the framework of the Doctoral Program in Quaternary and Prehistory of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, the defense of the doctoral thesis […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":160,"featured_media":92985,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[342,334,336,333],"tags":[839,1026,1192],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93042"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/160"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93042"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93042\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93047,"href":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93042\/revisions\/93047"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/92985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}