60,000-year-old hunters’ lodging discovered in central Catalonia

An ancient deer hunters’ lodge used up to 60,000 years ago has been discovered by archaeologists working on the excavation campaign at the Capellades Roman shelter, located in the centre of Catalonia. 

The 17 archaeologists working on the excavation found remains of deers and rabbits, as well as a wide variety of stone tools. They are exploring the site 12 meters below the surface where Neanderthals made short stays on hunting trips. 

If all goes as planned, before the project finishes on August 25, excavations will be completed at this level. One of the co-directors of the dig, Eudald Carbonell pointed out that the works so far have only reached 12 meters deep and the site reaches depths of 51 meters. “We have work for years.”

Next year, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the start of the archaeological excavations in Abric Romaní, they will start at a deeper level, but first, they will accurately study everything that has been found at this level.

Co-director of the project, Palmira Saladié, described the area excavated as “very unique” in the world and “very difficult to understand," and added: "it will surely provide us with a lot of information."

Apart from the pandemic, the excavation campaign has had to face a second major obstacle this year, the heatwave that reached 43 degrees celsius in some parts of Catalonia last week, conditions making the archaeological work much more difficult to carry out.

Coinciding with the dig, there are guided tours of the area for anyone who is interested in the project. In two weeks, it has seen over 500 visitors.