A cave high in the eastern Pyrenees iis revealing unexpected clues about a forgotten chapter of prehistory. The latest findings suggest that this remote mountain site was anything but insignificant. Perched at more than 7,300 feet (2,235 meters) above sea level in the Freser Valley, Cave 338 has yielded an unusually rich archaeological record.
The discoveries suggest that prehistoric communities returned to this remote location over many generations rather than passing through it only occasionally.
For decades, high-altitude environments were often seen as marginal spaces in prehistoric life. The new findings, published in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology, paint a different picture, revealing sustained and repeated activity in a mountain setting that may have held particular significance for the groups who visited it.
A Cave Used Across Two Millennia
Researchers excavated a six-square-meter area near the entrance of the cave and identified four distinct layers of human activity. The oldest layer contained charcoal fragments dated to around 6,000 years ago. At the other end of the sequence, a thin upper layer produced only a small number of artifacts from historical periods, suggesting limited use of the cave in more recent times.
Most of the archaeological material camefrom the second and third layers. There, the team uncovered numerous hearths and a dense concentration of remains. Lead author Carlos Tornero, from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution, said that:
“We found a really rich archaeological sequence, including multiple combustion structures and a very large number of green mineral fragments. We can’t say exactly how long people stayed each time, but the repeated use of the space and the density of remains suggest occupations that were short to medium in duration, but happening again and again over long periods of time.”
The layout of the hearths supports that interpretation. As detailed in the study published in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology, several hearths overlap one another, showing that people repeatedly returned to the same area. Yet each hearth remains clearly distinguishable, indicating that these visits were separated by substantial intervals rather than forming a single continuous occupation.
Radiocarbon dating places one hearth from the second layer at approximately 3,000 years old. Hearths from the third layer date between about 5,500 and 4,000 years ago.
What Were The Green Stones For?
Among the most striking finds were23 hearths containing large numbers of crushed and burned green mineral fragments. Researchers are still analyzing the material, though preliminary observations suggest it may be malachite, a copper-rich mineral that can be processed to produce copper. The identification has not yet been confirmed, and further laboratory work is underway. What caught the team’s attention was the condition of the fragments.
“Many of these fragments are thermally altered, while other materials in the cave are not, which clearly suggests that fire played an important role in their processing and that there was a deliberate intention behind it,” as Dr. Julia Montes-Landa of the University of Granada, co-author, explained. “In other words, they weren’t burned by accident.”
If future analysis confirm the presence of malachite, the discovery could provide valuable insight into early copper-related activities in a high-altitude environment.
A Child’s Tooth And Ancient Ornaments
The excavation also produced human remains from the third archaeological layer. These included a finger bone and ababy tooth belonging to at least one child estimated to have been around 11 years old. Researchers have not determined whether the remains came from the same individual, and there is currently not enough evidence to establish a cause of death. The discovery nevertheless raises the possibility that the cave may have been used as a burial site.
Other objects recovered from the cave, among them were two pendants dating to prehistoric contexts, most likely from the second millennium BC. One was made from a shell, while the other was crafted from a brown bear tooth.
“They come from prehistoric contexts, most likely around the second millennium BC. The shell pendant is interesting because it has parallels in other sites in Catalonia, which suggests shared traditions or connections between different communities. The bear tooth pendant is much less common. That might point to something more specific or symbolic, possibly linked to the local environment,” Tornero noted.
