rocks

The high mountains have always been seen as an almost natural limit for survival due to the extreme conditions that have to be experienced, and that is why archaeologists assumed that this location was too hostile an environment for our ancestors. However, a new and surprising discovery At more than 2,200 meters of altitude, he has just blown up that idea by pointing out that not only did they go up there, but they spent many years working to search for minerals. What has been seen? A recent study Published in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Archeology, it points to the first evidence we have that there was a prehistoric human presence in the Pyrenees. Here the setting is none other than Cova 338, a rock shelter located at 2,235 meters of altitude where it has been seen that our ancestors had their work activity. Some green stones. What archaeologists have found in Cova 338 is not a simple shelter to shelter from a storm. Here it has been seen that the site houses multiple combustion structuressuch as homes or areas where fires were made to cook or simply keep warm, which indicate that the place was inhabited in a continuous and planned manner. And we know that they were from prehistory because of the carbon-14,14 that leaves no room for doubt. But the discovery that has drawn the most attention to experts are some fragments of green rock, which are said to be malachite, which is a mineral rich in copper. Because? The fact of having malachite here has made researchers think that we are facing a camp oriented towards mining prospecting and early metallurgical work. In this way, our prehistoric ancestors were combing the Pyrenean peaks in search of the necessary resources to make the first metal tools and jewelry. A child in the heights. The Cave 338 It also hides a human and deeply moving component, since among the remains of extinct fires and fragments of malachite, the research team has found human remains belonging to a child. Right now, the exact reasons why it is there or why it ended up dying are a great mystery, so it adds a layer of social complexity to the site. This shows us that expeditions to the high mountains were not exclusively composed of isolated groups of adult hunters or miners, but rather involved family dynamics or broader demographic groups. European archaeology. To date, the traditional archaeological narrative considered areas above 2,000 meters as “marginal spaces” during prehistory. Literally, true technological and social innovation was thought to occur in the lower valleys and plains where weather conditions were much more favorable. But this new study forces us to rewrite the Alpine and Pyrenean history books, since Cova 338 demonstrates that prehistoric humans had great knowledge of high mountain geology and the logistical capacity to establish stable camps, light fires at extreme temperatures and process minerals in harsh conditions. Images | UAB In Xataka | “In 200 years, archaeologists will search through our trash and find a terrible image of ourselves”: the dirty reality of what we throw away