OUTER space and the Bronze Age do not sit well in the same sentence – they may both have existed at the same time, but anyone based on Earth back then would not have known much, or anything, about what lies beyond.
Oldest-ever skeleton in Spain found intact: The 'human bridge' between evolutionary era and modern man
12/03/2021
REMAINS of a man found in a cave in the northern region of Navarra are the oldest ever discovered in Spain completely intact, according to the multi-national team of archaeologists and anthropologists working on the site, who include experts from the universities of Cambridge and York (UK).
Discovered in the Errotalde I cave, within the boundaries of the town of Erro in the Aintzioa-Loizu district, the skeleton is complete, anatomically-connected, and is of a young adult male aged approximately 17 to 21 years old.
Almost perfectly preserved, the skeleton has a hole in the skull consistent with impact by a projectile object, but more intensive study is needed to ascertain whether this was the cause of death.
His body had been lain face-down, stretched out and with his arms across his stomach, a position which, combined with the exceptional level of conservation, has led researchers to believe he had been wrapped in a blanket or primitive 'body-bag' before being covered with a reddish sediment, probably ochre.
And since his burial, the man's remains have never been touched – until now.
The 'Loizu Man' ('Hombre de Loizu'), as he has been dubbed by investigators, is thought to have lived and died in around 9,700 BC, making him over 11,700 years old.
He was discovered nearly 200 metres from the entrance to the cave in the fossilised bed of a network of underground streams, reached after a tricky 45-minute trek through extremely narrow passageways, some of which had such low roofs that the archaeologists had to navigate them by lying on their stomachs and pulling themselves along.
Navarra's regional president, María Chivite, says the finding means 'an excellent opportunity' to research 'how our ancestors lived and died' and what life was like for the human race at the end of the last ice age, 'one of the most dramatic and sharp moments of climate change in the history of the planet'.
“What we've got here is one of the most relevant findings ever in terms of prehistoric Navarra, and the Iberian peninsula as a whole,” she says.
Although the cave has been known about for centuries, it had never been explored until the Sakon potholing club did so in 2017.
They found the human remains on November 20 of that year and, suspecting they were very ancient rather than a crime scene, they contacted the regional government heritage department.
Its archaeologist, Jesús García Gazólaz, said extracting the skeleton from the cave was an extremely complex and delicate task, which they finally achieved at noon yesterday (Thursday).
Head of the Faculty of Prehistoric Studies at Cantabria University, Pablo Arias Cabal, who will be taking part in the exhaustive analysis of the 'caveman' and his anatomy, said having the chance to do so was a 'real privilege', given the massive significance of the finding.
“These remains are unique in Spain and an exceptionally rare case in the whole of the European continent,” he explains.
“The 'Loizu Man' comes from a time when we were in transition from the last ice age to the present geological climate – a time from which there are very, very few remains anywhere in Europe and, I would say, none in such an excellent state of conservation as this, with the entire skeleton preserved and in a very good condition.
“We're now going to carry out a highly-extensive raft of studies from a genetic point of view, to find out whether the 'Loizu Man' spent his childhood in this area, what his diet was, what illnesses he may have suffered – I think we're going to be able to do some seriously intriguing work.”
A team of 26 experts has been organised, from the Spanish universities of Cantabria and Burgos, the British ones of Cambridge and York, Uppsala University in Sweden, and Spain's National Research Council (CSIC).
Pablo Arias Cabal is also full of praise for the potholers who discovered the 'Loizu Man'.
“Having worked in many different parts of Spain and in loads of countries worldwide, I've very rarely found a case handled in such an exemplary manner as this one, starting with the Sakon group,” the historian says.
“I take my hat off to them for their competence as potholers and the care they've shown for their historic heritage. If this discovery had fallen into less-responsible hands, we wouldn't be able to study the skeleton properly. Merely by these bones having moved a few centimetres or been touched by another human would have meant we lost a major chunk of the archaeological information we hope to gain. But the Sakon group found it, didn't touch a thing, and they've been really helping us.”
He also lauded the regional government's management of the situation and its keen interest in their heritage.
“In all my career, I've never come across a case of such quick and efficient handling. In just a few weeks, we were ale to set up a research project that was immediately approved and signed off, and we have proof of how much interest they have in their heritage in the incredibly high level of representation here on site, with the regional president, her culture and sports minister [Rebeca Esnaola] and the mayor of Erro [Enrique Garralda], which shows an enormous sensitivity on the part of the Navarra government,” he concludes.
One of the most ground-breaking features of the 'Loizu Man', apart from being the oldest complete skeleton ever found in Spain, is the fact that he lived and died at a time when the human race had just finished its evolution into what it is today.
The Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation (EEA) is thought to have been between about three million and 10,000 years ago, coinciding almost exactly with the Pleistocene era which ran from two million years ago to about the year 10,000 BC.
It was followed by the Holocene era, starting in around 10,000 BC and continuing to the present day, meaning the 'Loizu Man' is sitting on the very cusp of evolution and would be from one of the last societies of hunter-gatherers in the Navarra Pyrénées.
Until now, the oldest complete remains found on the Iberian Peninsula have dated back to the Mesolithic era, which covers the first four millennia of the Holocene era, between about 10,000 BC and 6,000 BC.
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REMAINS of a man found in a cave in the northern region of Navarra are the oldest ever discovered in Spain completely intact, according to the multi-national team of archaeologists and anthropologists working on the site, who include experts from the universities of Cambridge and York (UK).
Discovered in the Errotalde I cave, within the boundaries of the town of Erro in the Aintzioa-Loizu district, the skeleton is complete, anatomically-connected, and is of a young adult male aged approximately 17 to 21 years old.
Almost perfectly preserved, the skeleton has a hole in the skull consistent with impact by a projectile object, but more intensive study is needed to ascertain whether this was the cause of death.
His body had been lain face-down, stretched out and with his arms across his stomach, a position which, combined with the exceptional level of conservation, has led researchers to believe he had been wrapped in a blanket or primitive 'body-bag' before being covered with a reddish sediment, probably ochre.
And since his burial, the man's remains have never been touched – until now.
The 'Loizu Man' ('Hombre de Loizu'), as he has been dubbed by investigators, is thought to have lived and died in around 9,700 BC, making him over 11,700 years old.
He was discovered nearly 200 metres from the entrance to the cave in the fossilised bed of a network of underground streams, reached after a tricky 45-minute trek through extremely narrow passageways, some of which had such low roofs that the archaeologists had to navigate them by lying on their stomachs and pulling themselves along.
Navarra's regional president, María Chivite, says the finding means 'an excellent opportunity' to research 'how our ancestors lived and died' and what life was like for the human race at the end of the last ice age, 'one of the most dramatic and sharp moments of climate change in the history of the planet'.
“What we've got here is one of the most relevant findings ever in terms of prehistoric Navarra, and the Iberian peninsula as a whole,” she says.
Although the cave has been known about for centuries, it had never been explored until the Sakon potholing club did so in 2017.
They found the human remains on November 20 of that year and, suspecting they were very ancient rather than a crime scene, they contacted the regional government heritage department.
Its archaeologist, Jesús García Gazólaz, said extracting the skeleton from the cave was an extremely complex and delicate task, which they finally achieved at noon yesterday (Thursday).
Head of the Faculty of Prehistoric Studies at Cantabria University, Pablo Arias Cabal, who will be taking part in the exhaustive analysis of the 'caveman' and his anatomy, said having the chance to do so was a 'real privilege', given the massive significance of the finding.
“These remains are unique in Spain and an exceptionally rare case in the whole of the European continent,” he explains.
“The 'Loizu Man' comes from a time when we were in transition from the last ice age to the present geological climate – a time from which there are very, very few remains anywhere in Europe and, I would say, none in such an excellent state of conservation as this, with the entire skeleton preserved and in a very good condition.
“We're now going to carry out a highly-extensive raft of studies from a genetic point of view, to find out whether the 'Loizu Man' spent his childhood in this area, what his diet was, what illnesses he may have suffered – I think we're going to be able to do some seriously intriguing work.”
A team of 26 experts has been organised, from the Spanish universities of Cantabria and Burgos, the British ones of Cambridge and York, Uppsala University in Sweden, and Spain's National Research Council (CSIC).
Pablo Arias Cabal is also full of praise for the potholers who discovered the 'Loizu Man'.
“Having worked in many different parts of Spain and in loads of countries worldwide, I've very rarely found a case handled in such an exemplary manner as this one, starting with the Sakon group,” the historian says.
“I take my hat off to them for their competence as potholers and the care they've shown for their historic heritage. If this discovery had fallen into less-responsible hands, we wouldn't be able to study the skeleton properly. Merely by these bones having moved a few centimetres or been touched by another human would have meant we lost a major chunk of the archaeological information we hope to gain. But the Sakon group found it, didn't touch a thing, and they've been really helping us.”
He also lauded the regional government's management of the situation and its keen interest in their heritage.
“In all my career, I've never come across a case of such quick and efficient handling. In just a few weeks, we were ale to set up a research project that was immediately approved and signed off, and we have proof of how much interest they have in their heritage in the incredibly high level of representation here on site, with the regional president, her culture and sports minister [Rebeca Esnaola] and the mayor of Erro [Enrique Garralda], which shows an enormous sensitivity on the part of the Navarra government,” he concludes.
One of the most ground-breaking features of the 'Loizu Man', apart from being the oldest complete skeleton ever found in Spain, is the fact that he lived and died at a time when the human race had just finished its evolution into what it is today.
The Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation (EEA) is thought to have been between about three million and 10,000 years ago, coinciding almost exactly with the Pleistocene era which ran from two million years ago to about the year 10,000 BC.
It was followed by the Holocene era, starting in around 10,000 BC and continuing to the present day, meaning the 'Loizu Man' is sitting on the very cusp of evolution and would be from one of the last societies of hunter-gatherers in the Navarra Pyrénées.
Until now, the oldest complete remains found on the Iberian Peninsula have dated back to the Mesolithic era, which covers the first four millennia of the Holocene era, between about 10,000 BC and 6,000 BC.
Related Topics
You may also be interested in ...
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