De huertas y rebaños: reflexiones históricas y ecológicas sobre el papel de la ganadería en al-Ándalus y aportaciones arqueozoológicas para su estudio

The study of the agricultural changes that took place since the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in 711 AD has mainly focused on the spreading of agricultural irrigation. Yet it is quite surprising to encounter few works dedicated to other agricultural practices that were equally relevant within the productive context of any preindustrial economy, such as animal husbandry. Research on the main practices of husbandry and its management have received little attention due in part to virtually unfounded a priori assumptions, such as the existence of dissociation and competition between this farming subsector and irrigation agriculture. The following study aims to reexamine evidence on the role of domestic animal farming and management in the Andalusi agricultural economy. First, a critical analysis is presented of the causes of the sparse attention paid to the study of the animal economy in al-Ándalus. Second, the paramount importance of animal husbandry within pre-mechanized farming contexts is shown along with the crucial role of a by-product such as animal manure for the maintenance of fertility in irrigated agricultural land. Lastly, we offer an agroecological interpretation of results obtained from the analysis of assemblages of animal remains from Andalusi archaeological sites, aiming to offer a glimpse into the agricultural system of al-Ándalus and the role played by animal husbandry within it.