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Date Published: 24/01/2023
ARCHIVED - Archaeologists unearth Ice Age fossils at cave in Santomera
The experts hope to find Neanderthal human bones and cave paintings at La Capilla cave on Los Ásperos mountain, Murcia
Archaeologists in Murcia have made an exciting find during an excavation organised by the Heritage Association of Santomera at La Capilla cave on the Los Ásperos mountain.
The team has unearthed fossils of large mammals including a horse (Equus ferus) and a deer (Cervus Elaphus) consumed by humans 20,000 years ago, during the Ice Age. And they are now hoping to discover Neanderthal human bones and cave paintings at the historical site.
Archaeologist and director of the project, Miguel Pallarés, explained that no human remains have been found as yet, but excavators have discovered lithic pieces derived from stone work, which were used for hunting and which could indicate that the area was formerly a Neanderthal settlement.
He said the work currently being carried out is still at the surface level, but that he hopes "to be able to surprise the public" in future campaigns, with a gallery "made up of human bones or cave paintings".
The site was discovered in 2018, at which time several chronological phases were documented in relation to the materials that appeared on the surface, with periods reaching back to the Middle Palaeolithic (40,000 to 100,000 years ago).
The area is south-facing and accessed via Rambla Salada, the Cañada Perdida or the corridor through which the A7 motorway passes, routes that have been used since remote times, both by wildlife and by nomadic shepherds in more recent times.
Cerramos la II Campaña de Excavación del Abrigo de la #Capilla con unos excelentes resultados y una grata visita del Catedrático de Paleoantropología de la #UMU Michael Walker. Pronto presentaremos los resultados. pic.twitter.com/JCSmITYquK
— Patrimonio Santomera (@PSantomera) January 5, 2023
The mountain would have also been popular to Neanderthal settlers due to the biological wealth of the area thanks to its proximity to the Rambla Salada, a source of raw materials such as the mineral flint.
Over the years, La Capilla has been visited by intrigued specialists such as Ignacio Martín Lerma, professor of Prehistory at the University of Murcia (UMU), João Zilhão, a paeloanthropologist at the University of Barcelona and specialist in Neanderthals, and Professor Emeritus Michael Walker, professor of Palaeoanthropology at the UMU.
Images: Heritage Association of Santomera (La Asociación Patrimonio de Santomera)
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