Controlling livestock, managing pastures in the Cantabrian Mountains (13th–17th centuries)

Keywords: livestock species, fire management, social capital, Cantabrian Mountains, mountain pastures, multifunctionality
Agencies: Este trabajo se ha realizado en el marco del proyecto ENCOMI «En nombre de la comunidad. Las comunidades campesinas en las zonas de montaña: definición territorial, gestión colectiva y lugares centrales en la formación de identidades locales» PID2020-112506GB-C43, financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación del Gobierno de España; y del Programa de apoyo a Grupos de Investigación SEK-25-GRU-GIC-24-049, financiado por la Agencia para la Ciencia, la Competitividad Empresarial y la Innovación del Principado de Asturias, SEKUENS.

Abstract

Current challenges facing rural areas, along with issues related to livestock and land management, provide a framework for examining the historical configuration of the landscape and territorial governance in the Cantabrian Mountains from the central centuries of the Middle Ages onward. This period is marked by significant transformations in both resource exploitation systems and the composition and active involvement of social groups. The complementary use of written documentary sources, archaeological evidence, and ethnographic data enables a preliminary approach to these processes of change through three key dimensions: the diversity of livestock species, fire management practices, and the emergence of new forms of social capital associated with these transformations.

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Published
2026-06-01
How to Cite
Fernández Mier, M. (2026). Controlling livestock, managing pastures in the Cantabrian Mountains (13th–17th centuries). En la España Medieval, 49, 77-98. https://doi.org/10.5209/elem.109121