Middle Pleistocene Neanderthals Hunted Rabbits in Bolomor Cave

Between 350,000 and 120,000 years ago, humans occupied the Cova del Bolomor near Tavernes de la Valldigna. The site is a karst cave situated 100 metres above the sea, surrounded by karstified hills and overlooking a coastal landscape that includes a marshy area with dunes.

Excavations begun in 1989 have recovered four Neanderthal remains, including a fragment of a fibula, two teeth, and a nearly complete parietal bone. The thickness of the cortical bone in the fibula indicates it came from non-modern man. Throughout the occupation, the occupants ate a wide variety of animals such as ungulates, tortoises, and birds, as well as young elephants that had to be carried up the steep slope.

While the record confirms these hunts, the frequency of rabbit remains marked with cuts is a relative rarity for the Middle Pleistocene. Such small, quick prey is unusual for the period and is likely a specific feature of this unique locality. The site shows lithic recycling and a technology oriented toward long and complex knapping methods with predetermined flake shapes and tool standardization.

Archaeologists recognize a stratigraphy of 17 layers and 15 hearths, some of which were lined with stone. It is postulated that the site represents a transition from an Acheulean to a post-Acheulean mode of living. Because the original cave dome fell in due to seismic activity, the site now functions as a rock shelter offering a view of the valley and the town of Cullera.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons