Herding Strategies and Economic Roles in Italy between the Middle Bronze and the Early Iron Ages: New Insights from zooarchaeology and ZooMS analysis

This paper presents the results of zooarchaeological analyses conducted within the HERDS project, which investigates socio- economic dynamics in Italy between the Middle Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. A selection of key sites was examined to provide a broad comparative framework for understanding regional husbandry strategies. The study integrates quantitative analyses of the main domestic taxa (cattle, caprines, and pigs) and their relationship with wild fauna, kill-off patterns reflecting herd management and economic exploitation, and morphometric and biometric data. These approaches are complemented by ZooMS analyses, applied to refine taxonomic attribution in morphologically ambiguous sheep/goat remains and to identify fragmentary or otherwise unidentifiable remains. The results reveal diversified yet stable animal economies, closely adapted to local environmental conditions and regional contexts, and rooted in long-established management strategies rather than major structural transformations. Observed differences primarily reflect ecological and regional variability, highlighting the flexibility and resilience of prehistoric subsistence systems in Italy throughout the second and early first millennia BC. ZooMS outcomes are fully consistent with morphologically derived sheep/goat ratios, while significantly improving taxonomic resolution and reinforcing the overall robustness of the zooarchaeological interpretations.