In the study of pastoral landscapes, ethnoarchaeology can incorporate first-hand information on material features and herding prac- tices and identify the active role of domestic animals in such practices. The Mursi are a present day transhumant agro-pastoralist group, which are specialized in the livestock herding of cattle (Bos indicus). This study examines evidence from this animal behaviour and its needs, which allows us to enrich a particular construction of a herding landscape in contemporary SW Ethiopia. Remote sens- ing techniques are employed to obtain landscape snapshots of the Mursi main pasture area, which are contrasted with fieldwork data. Moreover, recent improvement in digital terrain models permit us to test cattle desire lines with least-cost path (LCP) between settlements and resources, as well as distances from these settlements to various hazards. The context is characterized by high mobility; however, the Mursi settlements and their social reality consider fixed territorial strategic locations around different hydro- logical catchment areas and optimal pastures. Less detectable variables such as those related to diverse dangers also appear as key elements to understand this landscape. Animals, their short and long-distance movements, and their consequences on people help create an identity for the Mursi main pasture area. Cattle reveal itself as a decisive agent in the construction of both place and landscape, challenging the conception of animals as merely passive actors in domestication processes.

In the study of pastoral landscapes, ethnoarchaeology can incorporate first-hand information on material features and herding prac- tices and identify the active role of domestic animals in such practices. The Mursi are a present day transhumant agro-pastoralist group, which are specialized in the livestock herding of cattle (Bos indicus). This study examines evidence from this animal behaviour and its needs, which allows us to enrich a particular construction of a herding landscape in contemporary SW Ethiopia. Remote sens- ing techniques are employed to obtain landscape snapshots of the Mursi main pasture area, which are contrasted with fieldwork data. Moreover, recent improvement in digital terrain models permit us to test cattle desire lines with least-cost path (LCP) between settlements and resources, as well as distances from these settlements to various hazards. The context is characterized by high mobility; however, the Mursi settlements and their social reality consider fixed territorial strategic locations around different hydro- logical catchment areas and optimal pastures. Less detectable variables such as those related to diverse dangers also appear as key elements to understand this landscape. Animals, their short and long-distance movements, and their consequences on people help create an identity for the Mursi main pasture area. Cattle reveal itself as a decisive agent in the construction of both place and landscape, challenging the conception of animals as merely passive actors in domestication processes.