Alcune considerazioni sul ruolo dei caprovini nell’Italia centro-settentrionale protostorica: gestione dell’allevamento e variabilità dimensionale

Among domesticated species, sheep and goats were of strategic importance for ancient communities, due to their environmental adaptability, lower maintenance costs and the possibility of exploiting secondary products (milk, fibres and wool). In Italy livestock husbandry represented a growing activity during the Bronze Age as documented by the increase in the frequency of remains referable to caprines within the faunal samples. Contextually, an increasing interest towards the exploitation of secondary products, a greater mobility and an increase in caprines size can be observed in some areas. This trend coincides with the occurrence of important changes in the political and socio-economic aspects of the protohistoric communities. The aim of this paper is to discuss the role of caprines in the Bronze Age on a large Italian territorial portion, by combining information on the frequency of animal remains, culling patterns and biometric data.