Unveiling Equine Pathologies from an Iron Age Ritual Deposit: Health, Management and Biomechanical Stress in the Protohistoric Horses of Casas del Turuñuelo (Badajoz, Spain)

Equids played a central economic and symbolic role in Iberian Iron Age society, yet little is known about their health and management during the protohistoric period. This study examines the unusually well-preserved equid assemblage from the Tartessian site of Casas del Turuñuelo (Badajoz, Spain), dating from the 5th century BCE with the aim of reconstructing patterns of pathology and biomechanical stress. Thirty-one individuals were subjected to macroscopic paleopathological assessment following established diagnostic criteria and, for a subset of seven individuals, computed tomography (CT) of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae was performed. The results reveal a consistent combination of enamel hypoplasia, abnormal wear of the second premolars, and hyperostosis of the diastema, indicating episodes of systemic stress and chronic mechanical irritation, likely related to bitting or other handling practices. Thoracolumbar spondylosis deformans and enthesopathic changes in the limbs point to repetitive strain and axial overloading compatible with traction or intensive work. Occasional metapodial synostoses further support cumulative biomechanical stress in several individuals. Altogether, these findings suggest that the horses deposited in the ritual event had undergone prolonged and sometimes demanding use prior to death. The assemblage provides rare early evidence of equine workload, welfare conditions and husbandry strategies in the southwestern Iberian Protohistory.