Neanderthal remains and bird bones at Cova Negra

Cova Negra is a 57-hectare Cultural Heritage Site located in a valley alongside the Albaida river. Since 2006, the area around the cave has been designated as a Municipal Natural Site. The site was first discovered by the priest G. Viñes in 1933.

Archaeological finds at the cave include remains showing that Neanderthals who occupied the area were avid eaters of birds. Researchers found 247 remains of 18 different bird species, especially doves and choughs. These findings suggest that the northwestern part of the Mediterranean saw widespread exploitation of small, fast game.

In 2013, a fragment from an adult parietal bone, a cranial fragment from a child, and a child's premolar were discovered. By that time, the cave held 25 pieces of Neanderthal remains, belonging to seven individuals, including several children. A 2019 study provided the first ESR / U-Th chronology for the site, indicating that Neanderthals occupied the area during MIS 8–6, between 273 ± 26 ka and 146 ± 34 ka.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons