Pastoralism and settlement patterns during Late Prehistory in the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Iberia)

The spread of farming practices significantly impacted the European mountainous landscapes during Late Prehistory. Agriculture and pastoralism gave rise to novel frameworks for interpreting the relations between human communities and their environments, encompassing both material and intangible dimensions. This chapter provides an overview of the archaeology of the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. It explores the relevance of pastoralism as a key theme in understanding the exploitation and adaptation to upland environs by Late Prehistoric groups and their settlement patterns. It also discusses the social and cultural traits that underpinned the humanization of these areas between the Neolithic and the early Roman period.

Landscape archaeology. Transhumance. Neolithic. Bronze Age. Iron Age. Iberian Peninsula. Rural landscapes. Archaeological Methodology and Techniques. Archaeology.