Historic Discovery in Spain Reveals Shift from Foraging to Farming

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Excavations at the Coves del Fem rock shelter in Catalonia have uncovered rare evidence illuminating the transition from the last foragers to early farming communities.

Historic Discovery in Spain Reveals Shift from Foraging to Farming
Image credit: Archaeologymag

Archaeological excavations at the Coves del Fem rock shelter in northeastern Spain have brought to light unique remains that shed new light on the transition between the region's last hunter-gatherer groups and its first sedentary farming communities. Located in Catalonia, this key shelter is of major significance for European archaeology because it preserves an unbroken stratigraphic sequence from the critical period when hunting-based lifeways gave way to agriculture.

Millennia of Continuous Occupation

Excavations led by the Autonomous University of Barcelona since 2013 have identified evidence of an almost continuous human occupation between 6000 and 4500 BC. Finds from the most recent field season revealed an Early Neolithic settlement associated with the Cardial culture, one of the earliest farming groups in Western Europe. Archaeologists documented eight pits dug into the ground and two hearths. The pits appear to have been used first as grain silos and storage facilities for foodstuffs and materials, and were later filled with domestic refuse.

Living Spaces of Hunter-Gatherers

It was determined that these Neolithic storage pits cut into underlying Mesolithic layers that lack pottery. This indicates that the same shelter was revisited repeatedly over centuries by different communities. The latest work has brought to light two further Mesolithic layers in an excellent state of preservation. Within these layers, three hearths, numerous flint tools, animal bones and preserved plant remains provide invaluable data on life before the adoption of agriculture.

The Spread of Farming into Mountain Landscapes

Coves del Fem stands out as a very rare archaeological site on the Iberian Peninsula where both Mesolithic and Early Neolithic material can be studied together in an almost uninterrupted sequence. Thanks to this exceptional context, researchers are able to examine in detail how farming practices spread into upland interior regions and how local communities were transformed in the process. The shelter also preserves later occupation traces dating from the end of the Neolithic to the beginning of the Metal Ages. For additional context and further reading, see [1] [2] [3].

Sources and further reading

Image & News Source: Archaeologymag / archaeologymag.com