A report published Thursday detailed the fascinating ongoing research at an ancient burial site in Spain that may have been used by both Homo sapiens and Neanderthals for tens of thousands of years.
We know that humans used the Cova dels Xaragalls (Cave of the Ravines) as “a collective burial site” starting about 7,000 years ago, but evidence suggests it might have been used for millennia prior by multiple types of humans, Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution archaeologist Antonio Rodrigeuz-Hildago told Live Science.
The cave system is located roughly 56 miles away from Barcelona. It contains more than 7,000 bones dating to around the late Neolithic and New Stone Age, through to possibly the Bronze Age, which ended roughly 3,000 years ago in Spain. And even though there are plenty of goods belonging to high-status individuals within the burials, there are just as many communal graves used for people without wealth.
Excavando en la Cova dels #Xaragalls un año más. Diferentes fases de enterramientos colectivos. A very interesting cave with different funerary levels, from #BronzeAge to #Neolithic! #CollectiveBurial #HumanRemains #ForensicAnthropology #Xaragalls2021 #CovaDelsXaragalls ✌🏼💀 https://t.co/qfDNP668bp pic.twitter.com/kggbqlQlnF
— Miguel Angel Moreno-Ibáñez (@Miguel_preh) February 19, 2021
But the biggest new find was the bones of wild goats and charcoal that date to more than 45,000 years ago when Neanderthals were the apex human predator. Homo sapiens (modern humans), didn’t become a staple of European fauna until around 40,000 years ago, Live Science noted.
“This opens the possibility that Neanderthals could have used the cave as well,” Rodríguez-Hidalgo told the outlet. “This is something to confirm.” (RELATED: If You’re A Wuss When It Comes To Pain, You Might Be Part-Neanderthal, Study Says)
There is still one big question: was the cave used continuously throughout history, or was there some overlap, some ancient long-term purpose to this site that was passed down through communities for millennia? “We need to undertake a comprehensive radiocarbon dating to clarify this point,” Rodríguez-Hidalgo noted.
🔴 Es confirma l’ús sepulcral de la #CovadelsXaragalls de Vimbodí i Poblet durant més de 4.000 anys! Més de 7.000 restes humanes 💀 d’animals 🐐🐎 de ceràmica i ornaments evidencien l’ús de la cavitat des del #neolític fins a #edatdelbronze
🔗Més info: https://t.co/Id2KiUY5Zx pic.twitter.com/ZxZVnsYiNy— IPHES-CERCA (@iphes) January 26, 2024
“The people who lived in the fertile areas of the valleys had to climb a small mountain with the bodies of the dead to put them there,” he continued. “We are doing ancient DNA analysis, ceramic analysis, paleoanthropological studies, and [analyzing] the composition and origin of the metals we have found as grave goods.” (RELATED: Researchers Find ‘Giant’ Hand Axes Thought To Be 300,000 Years Old)
Not only can the cave reveal how humans evolved, but it can also show how our customs, religions, and overall behaviors shifted throughout history. The research team is heading back to the site in March, so we’ll be sure to update you on all of the new discoveries!