Neanderthal camp reveals life in Spain 46,000 years ago
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Archaeologists in Burgos, Spain, have been excavating the Cueva de Prado Vargas since 2016, uncovering evidence of a large, long-term Neanderthal camp dating back 46,000 years.
Researchers have now excavated 140 square meters of the cave, revealing a wealth of animal bones and stone tools. The site shows Neanderthals returned to the cave across generations, suggesting it was a valued and repeatedly used home.
The team recovered over 1,500 animal bones, from species like wild boar, horses, bison, and deer, many bearing marks from butchering and processing for meat and marrow. Alongside the bones, they found numerous stone tools, primarily made from flint, including sharp flakes for cutting and scrapers for preparing hides and wood. Notably, the archaeologists discovered a surprising number of bone tools, over 100 in total, that Neanderthals used to refine the edges of their flint tools.
This abundance makes Prado Vargas a key location for studying Neanderthal technology. The cave also contains layers from the later Paleolithic period, suggesting Homo sapiens may have also used the cave around 35,000 years ago, offering potential insight into the transition between Neanderthals and early modern humans.
