NEOLITHIC SITE:NERJA CAVE

Pilar Quirós iniesta

INDEX Location

Clime

Interesting data-Historical development

Material Remains

Sources

Nerja(’s) Cave is a cave located in a town called Maro, municipality of Nerja (Málaga). It was discovered on the 12th January 1959.

LOCATION

The particular location of the site, near the coast, provides information about the climate in the past, the changes produced due to the sea level, the diversity and amount of resources exploited by every human community.

CLIMATE

The climate became warmer and there were changes in the flora and fauna. Climate change became its temperate climate in desert.

In the cave there were variations in temperature depending on the area, as it happens nowadays.

The total surface of the cave is 35,484m2 and its total volume is 64,379m3.

It is divided into three main parts: -Touristic galleries -High galleries -New galleries

INTERESTING DATA – HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

The cavity preserved archaeological layers covering some chronologies between 25,000 and 4,000 ago.

Archaeological Available data indicate that the Nerja Cave was used as habitat, burial cave and place where its inhabitants did artistic representations, among other activities.

The study of the archaeological remains allows the Scientifics to find out the chronological and cultural sequence of occupation of the site

In 2012 some art remains were dated about 42,000 years old and they could be the first artwork known in the humanity history. The paintings about seals could have been done by Neanderthals.

In 1961 it was declared Artistic Historical Monument and in 1985 it was declared Property of Cultural Interest.

In 2006 it was again declared Property of Cultural Interest, but now in the category of Archaeological place.

In the cave the archaeologist found different material remains: bones from different animals, ceramics, textiles, parietal art and different types of burial. They also found some human bones.

MATERIAL REMAINS

Ceramics

Parietal art

Human bones

During this period hominids began to decorate pottery. Here are some examples:

SOURCES: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cueva_de_Nerja

roble.pntic.mec.es/fpef0013/prehistoriaparaprincipiantes/Neolitico.html

http://www.archaeonerja.com/cueva-de-nerja.html

http://www.cuevadenerja.es/

http://www.cuevadenerja.es/index.php?modulo=nac_secuencia

http://www.cuevadenerja.es/archivos/publi_182_Sag_extra12_GBorjaetal_Cap10.pdf