In a major archaeological discovery reshaping our understanding of prehistoric life in high-altitude environments, researchers have found compelling evidence that ancient humans repeatedly visited a remote cave in the Pyrenees Mountains over an astonishing span of roughly 7,000 years. The findings, published in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology, suggest prehistoric groups didn’t merely pass through rugged alpine terrain — they planned, returned to, and used it persistently across millennia.
The site in question, known as Cova 338, sits at an elevation of 2,235 meters (about 7,330 feet) above sea level in the Núria Valley near Queralbs, in northeastern Spain’s portion of the Pyrenees. For decades, archaeologists believed harsh high-mountain areas were marginal zones visited only briefly during seasonal movement or migration. But the wealth of material unearthed at this site tells a very different story.
Ancient humans returned to a remote Pyrenees cave
Excavations conducted between 2021 and 2023 revealed a thick, well-stratified archaeological sequence containing multiple layers of evidence for recurrent human activity. Radiocarbon dating indicates that these occupation layers span from as early as the 5th millennium B.C. through the end of the first millennium B.C., suggesting people returned to Cova 338 repeatedly for social, economic, or ritual reasons over many generations.
Over a small area of just six square meters at the cave entrance, archaeologists uncovered 23 distinct combustion pits — ancient hearths that had been used and rebuilt across different eras. The presence of repeated hearths and well-defined stratigraphic units indicates that visits were deliberate and planned rather than accidental or fleeting.
Artifacts and evidence of complex activities
The assemblage of artifacts recovered points to diverse and organized activities taking place within the cave. Among the finds were animal bones, ceramic fragments, and numerous pieces of bright green mineral, likely malachite, a copper-rich mineral not native to the cave.
The thermally altered mineral fragments suggest people transported and processed malachite on site, hinting at early mineral exploitation or proto-metallurgical practices.
Two personal ornaments — a marine shell pendant and a brown bear tooth pendant — point to symbolic or decorative behavior among visitors, while rare human remains, including a child’s finger bone and baby tooth, raise intriguing questions about possible funerary or ritual uses of the site during certain periods.
A new view of high-altitude prehistory
The discoveries at Cova 338 about ancient humans returning to a remote Pyrenees cave challenge long-held assumptions about prehistoric mobility and environmental adaptation.
Rather than avoiding high mountain zones, prehistoric communities appear to have integrated these landscapes into structured seasonal mobility systems, equipped with detailed knowledge of routes, resources, and risks. The repeated returns — along with evidence of organized activity — suggest that prehistoric groups perceived these high elevations not as obstacles but as integral parts of their territorial and cultural experience.
Researchers now plan further analyses of pollen, seeds, charcoal, and animal remains to reconstruct the environmental context of the cave’s use and better understand how these ancient visitors adapted to high-altitude climates. As excavations continue, Cova 338 promises to remain a key reference point for unraveling how early humans lived, worked, and moved across Europe’s mountainous frontiers.