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Fumier sequences play a primary role in the study of livestock management and the use of space in prehistoric pastoralist societies. These sequences are formed when dung accumulated in sheepfold caves and rock shelters is burnt, resulting in an overlapping of burnt and unburnt sedimentary layers. Thus, fire is a key taphonomic agent in the formation and alteration of fumier sequences.The characteristics, functions, and management of burning events influence the preservation of the macro- and micro-remains potentially biasing the interpretation of the archeological record. Therefore, it is important to understand the taphonomic effects of fire in fumier sequences.In this chapter, we use a multi-scalar and interdisciplinary approach to the study of burning events at El Mirador cave. We analyzed the phytolith, fecal spherulites, pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPP), and parasite remains in the fumier sequence, together with the mineral (FTIR) and magnetic properties of the sediments. In addition, we studied the effects of fire on the macrofaunal assemblages. The results obtained here provide the basis for a tapho-diagenetic framework that illustrates robustly the formation dynamics of the El Mirador fumier sequences.

The importance of animal husbandry at El Mirador cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) and its use as a sheepfold has been confidently confirmed. This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary approach that includes traditional zooarcheological methods, isotopic analyses and archeobotanical studies of faunal and plant remains from El Mirador cave. The main objective of this study is to perform an in-depth analysis of the husbandry carried out at this site. We also aim to understand the implementation and evolution of these livestock rearing practices from the second half of the 6th millennium to the 2nd millennium BCE. The characterization of the use of the different landscapes by the herders is further completed with a study of hunting and fishing practices. Herd management was analyzed from a broad perspective: herd composition and feeding, birth management, and inferences regarding the potential use of domesticated animals. Husbandry practices evolved over the four millennia studied. In the Neolithic, livestock pressure on the landscape was minor and breeding practices focused mainly on sheep and goats. However, husbandry activities intensified throughout the Neolithic and Bronze Age. Pollen values suggest that livestock pressure on the landscape increased and cattle breeding and hunting also became more important.