European Pond Turtle (Emys orbicularis) remains in Iron Age contexts of the Spanish Northem Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present some new data concerning the systematic identifications of several terrapin findings documented in three Iberian Iron Age sites from the Northern Meseta and Basque-Cantabrian Basin: El Soto de Medinilla (Valladolid), La Mota (Valladolid) and La Hoya (Álava). New interpretations concerning the first-hand study of these remains are presented. With the aim of comprehending the interaction of humans with these reptiles, we consider that they were mainly captured as a food resource. The previous identification of Emys orbicularis (i.e., the European Pond Turtle) in El Soto de Medinilla and La Mota is confirmed and justified. The identification of the same taxon in La Hoya constitutes the youngest archaeological reference of its presence in the Basque-Cantabrian Basin.