La Garma Cave Offers Evidence Of Over 300,000 Years Of Human Activity

Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com -  One of the most fascinating ancient caves in Europe can be found in Cantabria in Northern Spain. Known as the cave of La Garma, this intriguing site offers evidence of over 300,000 years of human activity.

La Garma virtual tour. Still shots from World Monuments Fund.

When archaeologists investigated the cave, they discovered an impressive collection of rock art and archaeological remains from the Paleolithic age. During a recent study conducted by Professor Pablo Arias and Roberto Ontañón from the University of Cantabria, a 16,800-year-old Palaeolithic dwelling was found inside the La Garma cave. According to scientists, it is one of the best-preserved Paleolithic dwellings in the world.

La Garma's Paleolithic dwelling is about 5 square meters. The ancient cave "house" is delimited by an alignment of stone blocks and stalagmites that are fixed to the ground, a structure of sticks and skins leaning against a nearby cornice of the cave wall. In the center of the cave-dwelling, there was a small bonfire. At the site, scientists discovered a multitude of vestiges of various daily activities associated with Magdalenian hunters and gatherers.

So far, the research team has documented 4,614 objects unearthed inside the La Garma cave. Most of these ancient objects are bones of deer, horses, and bison, but there are also 600 pieces of flint, needles, shells of marine mollusks, a protoharpoon, and several pendants that the inhabitants of the house wore as ornaments.

The science team was impressed with the decorated bones. Among them is a spectacular pierced auroch phalanx with an engraved representation of this same animal and a human face. It is a  unique piece made by Paleolithic humans in Europe.

16,800-year-old Palaeolithic dwelling found inside the La Garma cave. Credit: University of Cantabria

In order to preserve this exceptional testimony of prehistory for future generations, an innovative methodology has been applied based on the application of non-invasive techniques, such as 3D  cartography, molecular and genetic analysis of soils and paleolithic objects, the determination of faunal remains from mass spectrometry on bone collagen (ZooMS) or the hyperspectral analysis of images.

There are now plans to install a reconstruction of the La Garma cave house in the exhibition facility of the Rock Art Center created by the Government of Cantabria in the town of Puente Viesgo.

La Garma is an exceptional archaeological complex included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Discovered in 1995, the cave's Lower Gallery contains the world's largest example of Paleolithic floors. The Lower Gallery, which scientists divided into nine zones, is situated at 59 m (194 ft) above sea level and is around 300 m (984 ft) in length. Thousands of animal bones and sea shells were found in this section, including Lithic, antler, and bone artifacts.

One of the most impressive artifacts found here is a backward-facing ibex depiction carved onto a bovine rib spatula.

The Magdalenian Lower Gallery cave floor is one of the best preserved Paleolithic cave floors ever discovered, and thus of great interest to paleoanthropologists. The rock art has remained in an extraordinary state of conservation much due to the landslide that sealed the cave approximately 15,000 years ago.

La Garma has not only been occupied by Paleolithic humans. As years passed, the cave diminished, but it was still in use by Neolithic people. Through the Bronze Age, it became mainly a burial site. Maybe one of the most peculiar discoveries is the remains of five Visigothic youths were found deep in the cave system. After the bodies had turned into skeletons, all of the individuals' skulls had been crushed quite deliberately.

Undoubtedly, remarkable events have occurred in the La Grama cave for more than 300,000 years.

Visitors to La Garma are offered the opportunity to explore the cave’s interior through virtual reality tours. The VR experiences are not only unforgettable but also ensure that the fragility of the cave is protected.

Written by Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com Staff Writer

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