La fauna del villaggio dell’età del Ferro di Bressanone-Stufles (Alto Adige, Italia). Indagini archeozoologiche e paleoecologiche nel quadro della protostoria padano-alpina

The village of Bressanone-Stufles (South Tyrol, Italy) has been the subject of archaeological investigations for decades; the excavations have confirmed a continuity of occupation throughout the Iron Age (6th-1st c. BC). The large animal bone assemblage analysed in this study, which includes published data from previous publication as well as unpublished materials, made it possible to formulate hypotheses on the palaeo-economy adopted by the human group inhabiting this village and to establish a socio-economic model for the Rhaetian area. The economy at the site was primarily based on the rearing of cattle and sheep/goats to exploit their secondary products (traction, milk, reproduction, wool). By adopting a social and archaeological approach a study of the possible functional uses of several areas of the village was carried out and an investigation of the presence of differentiated social groups was accomplished. A biometric comparison between the Bressanone-Stufles assemblage and assemblages from neighbouring regions was also conducted to understand whether livestock size differences through time could be identified. This analysis, together with the discovery of a bone find attributed to a donkey, points toward the likely existence of links with the Etruscan and Mediterranean worlds.