Archaeological Deep Dive
The Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park in the Catalan Pyrenees of northeastern Spain is being re-evaluated with a new archaeological dataset, revealing a human occupation history spanning over 10,000 years. Ermengol Gassiot and his team from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona have compiled 124 radiocarbon dates from 45 archaeological sites within the park, creating a detailed timeline tracking human presence in high mountain environments throughout the Holocene. The researchers describe this database as the first systematic compilation of absolute dates for the high mountain belt of the Pyrenees, made available as open access. [1][2] The study indicates that human presence has been recurrent in areas above 2,000 meters in altitude for at least 10,000 years. Three sites present long sequences of dates, documenting alternating use over centuries and millennia. The earliest occupation at the Obagues de Ratera rock shelter, situated at an altitude of 2,320 meters, dates back approximately 10,000 years. At Cova del Sardo, at 1,780 meters, human activity has been traced back 7,500 years, and at the Portarró rock shelter, at 2,280 meters, it extends back 7,300 years. Obagues de Ratera is reported to have been used in various periods, from the Mesolithic through the Neolithic and Chalcolithic, the Early and Middle Bronze Ages, the early Iron Age, the High Middle Ages, and into the 19th and 20th centuries. [1][3] Excavations at the Portarró rock shelter have identified structures built with dry stone foundations and wood, dating back approximately 5,000 years. According to the information presented in the report, these are considered among the oldest examples of stone architecture known in the Pyrenees to date. Among the approximately 380 recorded archaeological sites within the park are enclosures of various sizes and functions, potential shelters, rock shelters formed by large stone blocks, remnants of internal dividing walls, and stone circles that may have served as burial markers. The open-access database aims to chronologically organize this diversity and quantitatively assess the intensity of use during different periods. [1][2] Using various statistical methods, the research team is attempting to determine which periods saw an increase or decrease in human activity in the high mountains. The results indicate a significant intensification of human presence above 2,000 meters during the period between approximately 5,300 and 4,500 years ago, identified as the Late Neolithic, and again during the Late Antiquity and early Middle Ages. This chronology also allows for the interpretation of documented human activities in the Pyrenees alongside paleoecological data, such as glaciation events and vegetation changes. The researchers specifically note that some periods are more represented in the database than others, potentially leading to sampling gaps in the chronology. [1][2] The study suggests that during the same period as "Ötzi," who died approximately 5,300 years ago near the Tisenjoch glacier in the Alps, there was also an increase in human activity above 2,000 meters in the Pyrenees. Such synchronicity provides a basis for discussing whether high mountain zones in Europe experienced similar usage strategies during comparable periods. According to the research team, new excavations and the integration of data from different disciplines are needed to explain the reasons for these parallels in detail.
Key Findings
- 124 radiocarbon dates from 45 archaeological sites in the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park form the first comprehensive and open-access absolute chronological database for the high Pyrenees.
- The rock shelters of Obagues de Ratera, Cova del Sardo, and Portarró present multi-layered sequences of human use, spanning from approximately 10,000 to 7,300 years ago and covering numerous archaeological periods.
- Structures dating back approximately 5,000 years, built with dry stone foundations and wood, identified at the Portarró rock shelter, are considered by researchers to be among the oldest known examples of stone architecture in the Pyrenees.
- Statistical analysis of the database indicates a significant intensification of human activity above 2,000 meters, particularly during the Late Neolithic, Late Antiquity, and early Middle Ages.
Historical Context and Connections to the Past
Surface surveys and excavations conducted in the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park for nearly 20 years had previously offered significant insights into the archaeological potential of the high Pyrenees. However, these findings were long assessed based on scattered datings and individual sites. The new study consolidates this data into a single database containing 124 radiocarbon dates from 45 sites, organized to allow for the long-term tracking of human activity throughout the Holocene. [2][4] This chronological framework also enables comparisons with high-altitude findings in other mountain ranges in Europe, particularly the Alps. For instance, the increase in human activity observed above 2,000 meters in the Pyrenees during the same period as the proposed date for Ötzi, who died around 5,300 years ago near the Tisenjoch glacier, allows for discussions on mobility patterns observed in different mountain systems across the continent during similar timeframes. These comparisons bring to the forefront the question of whether high mountain regions were historically formidable barriers or regularly used transit and living areas. [1][3]
Archaeologist's Note
This chronological database for the high Pyrenees offers a framework of a scale rarely seen in mountain archaeology. In a context where most studies focus on individual sites, this research brings together dated findings to quantitatively discuss patterns of use and changes in intensity over thousands of years. This approach provides a strong foundation for questioning the common view that high-altitude regions were used solely for obligatory passages or short-term hunting grounds. Conversely, it is also noted that the current database is based on an uneven sampling, both geographically and chronologically, meaning that more intensive research in certain periods and areas may not directly reflect actual usage intensity. In the coming years, new excavations, the addition of radiocarbon dates from other high mountain areas to this framework, and comparisons with paleoclimate data hold the potential to make this initial picture, presented for both the Pyrenees and other mountain ranges, more detailed and balanced. [1][2]
Sources and Further Reading
- [1] Archaeologists Discover a 10,000-Year Human History Hidden in the Pyrenees. scitechdaily.com. Go to Original Source
- [2] Radiocarbon dating confirms 10,000 years of continuous human occupation in the Pyrenees - Departament of Prehistory - UAB Barcelona. uab.cat. Go to Original Source
- [3] A 10,000-Year Radiocarbon Record Shows the High Pyrenees Were Never Empty. anthropology.net. Go to Original Source
- [4] Humans were already living high in the Pyrenees 10,000 years ago. earth.com. Go to Original Source