Archaeological discovery in Spain reveals basketry and sandals dating back 9,500 years

They were discovered in the depths of Cave of the Bats of Albuñol, in the Spanish city of Granada, objects dating from the Holocene period, from approximately 9,500 to 6,200 years ago.

The artists represent the first direct evidence of basketry in hunter-gatherer and agricultural societies of the Mesolithic period in southern Europe.

The 76 objects, skillfully made from organic materials such as wood, reeds and esparto, do not were found during a traditional archaeological excavation, but rather in mining activities in the century XIX.

This revelation, published in the magazine Science Advances on September 27th, provides us with a precious insight into the technological and creative skills of people who lived millennia ago.

(Image: MUTERMUR Project / Reproduction)

Historical finds

In addition to the baskets, the discovery included a surprising set of organic tools linked to the agricultural communities of the

Researcher Francisco Martínez, from the University of Alcalá (UAH), observed that the quality and technological complexity of the basketry found lead us to question the simplistic assumptions that often affect human communities that existed before the arrival of agriculture in southern Europe. Europe.

(Image: MUTERMUR Project / Reproduction)

The objects are under the control of a team of scientists from the University of Alcalá (UAH) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and were found in the 19th century.

It was archaeologist Manuel de Góngora y Martínez who documented and recovered such items at that time. They have since formed part of the first collections of the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid.

The work plays a fundamental role in a broader project aimed at carrying out a holistic study of the site and its recording material.

Thus, the project aims to generate comprehensive scientific data, applying advanced archaeometric techniques in the analysis of devastated components.

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