Mysteries from the Paleolithic: Cova de les Llenes

The Cova de les Llenes, tucked away within the confines of Erinyà in the Pallars Jussà region of Catalonia, is one of the most important archaeological sites in Spain. Part of the Inventary of the Archeological and Paleontological Patrimony of Catalonia, the cave is an exceptional testament to Neanderthal life across the ages, with artifacts from as far back as 200,000 years ago.

The Cova de les Llenes is 185 meters long, 3 meters wide, and 2.5 meters high, with a main gallery divided into three parts. The first gallery leads to the Sala Gran, a larger chamber, after which another gallery continues for 50 more meters. Structure made of stone are found within the main gallery, but their exact chronology remains undetermined.

Excavations in the 1950s by Joan Maluquer de Motes from the Instituto de Estudios Pirenaicos initially dated the Cova de les Llenes to the late Bronze Age. However, more recent excavations in 2013 by the Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES) revealed that the occupation of the Cova de les Llenes can be pushed back to the Paleolithic era.

Neanderthals used the Cova de les Llenes as a workshop to create stone tools such as bifaces, nuclei, and flints. Fauna remains from the quaternary, including lion bones, hyenas, panthers, and rhinoceroses, were also discovered within the cave. Materials from the Neolithic and Bronze Age were also found, including incised pottery.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata