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The Cova 338 cave, in the Pyrenees, was used by prehistoric peoples between 5,500 and 3,000 years ago for funerary rituals and copper processing. The finding changes the view on human occupation in high mountain regions.
The old belief that mountains served only as passage sites for prehistoric peoples was challenged by a discovery in the Cova 338 cave, located in the Pyrenees mountain range. Situated 2,235 meters above sea level, the grotto revealed evidence that it was used recurrently between 5,500 and 3,000 years ago.
The study, detailed in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology, highlights that the site housed complex activities, from funerary rituals to mineral processing.
In a statement, Professor Carlos Tornero reveals that “for a long time, high mountain environments were seen as marginal, places where prehistoric communities passed through occasionally.”
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However, the site presents an extremely rich archaeological sequence. Although there is no evidence of permanent dwelling, the planned visits demonstrate that ancient communities possessed advanced technical knowledge to explore extreme altitude environments.
Pendant found in cave
In addition to the technical aspect, the cave also revealed intimate and social aspects of past populations. In the third layer of the excavation, scientists found a finger bone and a deciduous tooth from a child who would have been about 11 years old.
This discovery raises the hypothesis that the site was used for funerary practices, although archaeologists still need more data to confirm this theory.
Accompanying the human remains, two pendants were found, offering clues about the culture of the time:
- Shell pendant: According to Tornero, the piece shows parallels in other sites in Catalonia, suggesting connections between different communities.
- Bear tooth pendant: The professor points out that this item is much less common, potentially indicating something more specific or symbolic.
Ancient technology and metal processing
One of the most surprising finds in the cave involves the exploration of natural resources for tool production.
In the intermediate soil layers, archaeologists located 23 hearths surrounded by fragments of green minerals, preliminarily identified as malachite, which is the raw material for copper.
The research indicates that the use of fire was strategic and not accidental. Julia Montes-Landa explains that “Many of these fragments underwent thermal alterations, while other materials in the cave did not, which clearly suggests that fire played an important role in their processing.”
Among the technical observations, the following stand out:
- Many of the recovered green minerals show clear signs of thermal alterations.
- Other materials present in the same area of the cave were not burned, which reinforces the intentionality of the processing.
- Julia Montes-Landa adds that the fragments “were not burned by accident.”
- Carlos Tornero reminds, however, that “The identification of the green mineral as malachite still needs to be confirmed.”
Future investigations in the cave
Although current discoveries have already changed the perception of prehistoric occupation in the Pyrenees, work in the cave is far from over. Professor Tornero emphasizes that “the excavation has not yet reached the full depth of the site.”
New excavations are scheduled to take place between June and September, during the next European summer. The objective of this new phase is to deepen the investigation into the role of these communities in resource exploration in extreme environments.
With information from Revista Galileu
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