Text written in Basque and translated automatically by Elia without any subsequent editing. SEE ORIGINAL

Prehistoric site on the high mountain of the Pyrenees

For many years, scientists have believed that, in prehistory, humans rarely traveled to the high mountains and that, if stays were made, they would be very sporadic. However, the site of 338 caves in the Pyrenees shows the opposite, that is, that they went on a regular basis, for centuries, and carried out important activities there.

“On the third level, the bones of one or more 11-year-olds have also been found.”

Researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and IPHES-CERCA have been excavating the 338 cave and analyzing the remains. The cave, known as Catau de l’Os (Bear Burrow), is located between the Nuria Valley and the Puigmal Peak at an altitude of 2,235 meters.

Second and third layers

During the excavation, four layers have been identified so far. The first layer, the most recent, is thin and contains only a few objects from the historical period. The oldest is 6,000 years old and only a few pieces of coal have been found there. In the second, however, 23 fires are found with traces of a green mineral. It looks like malachite, and researchers believe it would have been treated to extract copper.

“Pendants with shells and bear cuts have appeared in the background.”

They also conclude that the cave was repeatedly occupied at that time (about 3000 years ago). On this second level, decorative elements have also been found, such as pendants made with shells and bear incisions.

The third layer is between 4,000 and 5,500 years old and, in addition to fires, the bones of one or more 11-year-old boys have been found. They were or were buried there.

According to the researchers, the cave is in a strategic place and, as the clues suggest, it was an important place from the point of view of the organization and economy of the community. The results of the research have been published in the open in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology , and it is anticipated that the site will continue to be explored.