La Tène Horse Remains from Alba Iulia CX 143 Complex: A Whole Story to Tell

The present paper deals with the archaeozoological investigation carried out on a horse skeleton discovered in a Late Iron Age La Tène tomb (coded CX 143) in Alba Iulia, Romania. The paper presents all the results of the investigation, with a description of finds, adding a detailed assessment of the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animals (Basel) 2024-05, Vol.14 (11), p.1624
Main Authors: Gudea, Alexandru Ion, Bârcă, Vitalie, Irimie, Alexandra, Martonos, Cristian Olimpiu, Socaciu, Antonia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
archaeozoology
Culture
dental morphology
horse
Iron Age
La Tène
Transylvania
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Summary:The present paper deals with the archaeozoological investigation carried out on a horse skeleton discovered in a Late Iron Age La Tène tomb (coded CX 143) in Alba Iulia, Romania. The paper presents all the results of the investigation, with a description of finds, adding a detailed assessment of the dentition with some interesting conclusions on the usage of a horse bit and the possible consequences of this use. The morphological features of the horse indicate a 7-8-year-old male individual, with a recalculated height of 1200-1300 mm. What is also stressed in the investigated sample is the lack of the characteristic pathological lesions typical for horseback riding but showing distinctive elements of bit wear. A comparative perspective over the few findings from the same period is provided to ensure the framing of the identified individual into the much larger historical context.
ISSN:2076-2615
2076-2615
DOI:10.3390/ani14111624