Peek at Spain

The history of “human” habitation in Spain begins more than 1.2 million years ago, when hominins first reached the Iberian Peninsula during the Paleolithic era. Homo sapiens entered the peninsula near the end of the Paleolithic, living side-by-side with the Neanderthals until the latter species finally went extinct.This early history is preserved in several sites around Spain. Many of these are found in the Atapuerca Mountains, including the Gran Dolina caves, where six hominin skeletons from between 780,000 and 1.2 million years ago were discovered in 1994. These caves showed evidence of tools used to butcher meat, as well as evidence of fire. Sima de los Huesos, the “Pit of Bones,” is also found in Atapuerca. The skeletons of more than 30 hominins were found in this pit, representing the species Homo heidelbergensis, a species which predated the Neanderthals. This pit is often considered the first evidence of burial by a hominin species. L’Arbreda Cave, located in Catalonia, contains both cave paintings and Neanderthal remains.In addition to some of the oldest remains, Spain also boasts the youngest evidence of Neanderthals, when a mandible and tools dating back to between 28,000 B.C.E. and 25,000 B.C.E. were discovered in 1995. Some archaeologists believe this represents a time when modern humans drove Neanderthals out of Central Europe, and that the Iberian Peninsula was actually a place of refuge.Around the time of 10,000 B.C.E., a deglaciation known as the Allerod Oscillation occurred, causing a warmer climate and modifications in human technology, known as microlithization: the decrease in size of stone or bone tools. Art became rarer during this time, and the hunted animals became smaller as well as the larger megafauna disappeared. Agriculturalists arrived in Andalusia during the sixth millennium B.C.E.The following are other historic sites that show the evolution of modern man in Spain. Archaeology and history buffs, make sure to add these to your travel itinerary:

• Cueva de La Pasiega (Cave of La Pasiega): A gallery of cave paintings running more than 120 meters with six different openings to the surface, only two of which can be accessed. The paintings represent both animals and abstract ideomorph symbols.
• Los Millares: A Chalcolithic occupation site in Santa Fe de Mondujar, Andalusia, which is an important example of the transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. A variety of simple dwellings, pottery (including symbolkeramik bowls with an oculus motif), and stone idols have been found in the settlement.
• La Mancha: Motilla hill forts represent the first human settlement in the region, dating back to the Middle Bronze Age. They were erected around 1500 B.C.E. and abandoned around 1300 B.C.E., when the Argaric culture came to an end.
• Guadalquivir: The second longest river in Spain. The valley’s first differentiated culture dates back to the Late Bronze age, represented by internally burnished pottery. This may be evidence of the ancient city of Tartessos, which was supposedly located at the mouth of the river but has not yet been discovered.