Herding the Early Neolithic: Isotopic evidence for first husbandry management strategies at Cova de les Cendres site (Alacant, Spain)

Early Neolithic communities in the eastern Iberian Peninsula developed integrated agropastoral economies, but the specific dynamics of herd management and their interactions with local ecosystems remain insufficiently understood. The Cova de les Cendres site, located in a Mediterranean karstic environment, offers valuable evidence for examining early herding strategies and their adaption to local ecological conditions. This study focuses on Sector A of Cova de les Centres site, investigating feeding strategies and management practices of domesticates to assess species-specific strategies and resource use and husbandry organization. Stable carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotope analyses were performed on animal bone collagen and integrated with archaeozoological data. The isotopic results reveal a flexible, species-specific husbandry system. Livestock management integrated grazing, browsing, and agricultural by-products, reflecting adaptative strategies within a stable Mediterranean ecosystem. These results highlight the early integration of animal husbandry in the consolidation of farming economies during the Early Neolithic in the eastern Iberia Peninsula.