Controlling the Pyrenees: a Macaque’s Burial from Late Antique Iulia Libica (Llívia, La Cerdanya, Spain)

The remains of a primate’s burial (a Macaca sylvanus , or a Barbary Macaque) were discovered in 2001 on the site of Les Colomines (Llivia), comprising the skeleton of the animal and some objects arranged as an offering. These offerings included decorated metallic pieces and some bronze military belts typical of the Late Roman period. The grave can be connected with the late antique phase of occupation of Iulia Libica in the 5th–6th c. A.D., and with several military episodes that occurred in the Pyrenees during this period. The macaque may have belonged to an officer. Some of the osteological and biometric studies on the macaque are presented at the end of the paper.