Pecora consectari: transhumance in Roman Spain

Abstract

Although ancient authorities mainly described Spain as a herdsmen's country and often praised the number and quality of her livestock, there are no reliable proofs of transhumance before the Visighotic period. Nevertheless, indirect evidence suggests that herds were mov- ing between seasonal grazing areas even during the time of the Roman conquest. Later on, several legal documents are better explained invok- ing the interest of cities and individuals in controlling alternative pas- ture lands, and some migratory patterns seem to conform nicely with traditional transhumance's areas and with the routes linking them.