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Image Credit: Alan Mattingly, via Wikimedia Commons
Evidence of Prehistoric Occupation Discovered Above 2000 Meters in the Pyrenees
Archaeologists working in the eastern Pyrenees have uncovered what is described as the highest-known prehistoric cave site with sustained human occupation in the mountain range. Located at an altitude of 2,235 meters in the Núria Valley of northeastern Spain, Cave 338 preserves evidence of repeated human activity spanning from at least the early 5th millennium BC to the late 1st millennium BC.
The site, excavated between 2021 and 2023, revealed a dense archaeological sequence containing combustion structures, ceramic fragments, faunal remains, stone tools, and large quantities of green mineral fragments identified as probable malachite, a copper-rich mineral. Researchers believe the material was intentionally transported to the cave and processed there, providing some of the earliest evidence for high-altitude mineral exploitation in Europe.
According to the study, the discovery challenges long-standing interpretations that prehistoric occupations above 2,000 meters in the Pyrenees were only brief or seasonal. Instead, the evidence from Cave 338 suggests the cave functioned as an intensively used logistical site integrated into broader mobility and resource-exploitation systems.
The excavation documented 23 pit-like combustion structures distributed across several occupation phases. Archaeologists recovered more than a thousand artifacts and ecofacts, including handmade pottery, animal bones, charcoal remains, and crushed green mineral fragments. Sheep and goat remains dominate the faunal assemblage, while traces of burning, butchering, and tool use indicate repeated domestic and economic activities within the cave.
Researchers also identified evidence of prehistoric ornamentation, including perforated animal remains and shell objects likely used as pendants. Meanwhile, the charcoal analysis revealed the repeated use of local mountain pine wood as fuel.
The cave lies in a difficult-to-access alpine environment reachable only on foot from the Vall de Núria area. Because of the site’s exceptional preservation and scientific importance, authorities in Catalonia installed protective measures and restricted public access while research continues.
Researchers believe Cave 338 provides an important new framework for understanding prehistoric settlement, mobility, and resource exploitation in high-mountain environments across the Pyrenees.
Published on: 09-05-2026
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
