The accumulation of zooarchaeological studies over various diachronies in Portugal provides a substantial database for analysing the consumption and management of domesticated animals, as well as the importance of hunting activity over the centuries. The variation in the proportion of species over time can reveal changes in specific preferences, which are linked to chronological, cultural, or environmental variations. Additionally, osteometric analysis adds another layer of understanding, providing information about human communities’ investment in improving the main domesticated species in Portugal over time.

We will particularly try to explore the data generated and collected by the Zooachanges project on Chalcolithic sites in Estremadura and Alentejo in Portugal, including the sites of Perdigões and Vila Nova de São Pedro. We aim to interpret the cultural and economic changes that occurred during the Chalcolithic and transition to the Bronze Age. The changes observed in these contexts demonstrate significant alterations in the consumption and management of animals that may be linked to the social collapse of the late Chalcolithic period and significant environmental changes.

Data on isotopic mobility are intended to contribute to this discussion in the future and to understand what social changes have occurred and how they have affected the mobility of people and animals. Comparisons with subsequent diachronies of historical periods up to the present can help interpret the data gathered so far.