A mysterious ancient settlement has been uncovered in Spain’s Pyrenees, shedding light on prehistoric human life.

Documented in a groundbreaking study, the prehistoric cave known as Cova 338 is situated 2,235 meters (7,333 feet) above sea level in the Nuria Valley. This remarkable find is the highest dwelling of its kind ever discovered in the region.

For decades, archaeologists believed that elevations above 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) were only transient stops for roaming groups. However, new evidence reveals that between 5,000 and 1,000 years BC, several groups occupied these caves for extended periods.

Interestingly, the archaeological findings indicate that these occupations were not continuous. There were significant periods of abandonment, suggesting that the inhabitants returned intentionally rather than out of necessity.

The excavation of Cova 338 took place between 2021 and 2023, spearheaded by researchers from Spain’s Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the Institute of Paleoecology, Human Evolution and Society of Catalonia (IPHES-CERCA).

During their investigations, the team uncovered fire remains, animal bones, pottery shards, and even two unique pendants—one crafted from a sea shell and the other from a brown bear’s tooth.

The cave also contains a collection of green minerals, likely malachite, a copper carbonate mineral, indicating some of the earliest evidence of copper extraction in Western Europe.

This suggests that these materials were transported to the caves for processing, highlighting a systematic approach to resource exploitation in high-altitude settings.

Researchers believe that these activities were meticulously organized, implying that people inhabited this location at specific historical moments for designated purposes.

“Mountains were not barriers, but active sites in the economic and territorial organization of prehistoric communities,” stated Dr. Udaldo Carbonell, co-author of the study.

Main author Carlos Tornello remarked, “Historically, these mountainous locations were seen as peripheral. Our findings reveal repeated occupations accompanied by complex activities and deliberate exploitation of mineral resources,” said the professor from UAB’s Department of Prehistory.

This significant study was published in the journal Frontiers of Environmental Archeology.

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