35,000 years of recurrent visits inside Nerja cave (Andalusia, Spain) based on charcoals and soot micro-layers analyses

Abstract

Charcoal and micro-layers of soot trapped in speleothems from the inner galleries of Nerja Cave were analysed through an interdisciplinary study. The absolute dating of the prehistoric subterranean activity of the cave and the identification of different phases of visits to the deep parts are presented and discussed. The charcoal analysis includes anthracological analysis and SEM–EDX. The soot analysis includes optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and TEM–EDX, and the microcounting of soot microlayers. The 14C dating of 53 charcoals identified 12 phases of prehistoric visits to the cave between 41,218 and 3299 cal. BP, putting back the origin of human occupation of this emblematic cave by 10,000 years. The interdisciplinary analysis of the soot microlayers allowed us to perform a high-precision zoom on the last three visitation phases identified by Bayesian analysis (8003–2998 cal. BP.), demonstrating that these phases contain at least 64 distinct incursions, with an average of one visit every 35 years for the Neolithic period. Spatial analysis showed that not all areas of the cave were used in the same periods, highlighting the repetition of visits to certain specific sectors of the Lower Galleries of the cave. Lastly, the anthracological data indicate a cross-cultural and unique use of Pinus tp. sylvestris-nigra wood for lighting activities over an extended period between the Gravettian and Upper Magdalenian.

Unravelling the skills and motivations of Magdalenian artists in the depths of Atxurra Cave (Northern Spain)

“…This comprehensive approach is possible when we have closed contexts where archaeological remains have been preserved in exceptional conditions, e.g., La Garma Cave 24 in Spain or Tuc d’Audoubert 25 , Cussac 26 and Chauvet 27 caves in France. But even in very visited caves, sometimes open to tourism, it has been possible to find well-preserved evidence away from the main areas of transit, for example in Etxeberri Cave 28 in France or in Nerja Cave 29 , 30 in Spain. This is also the case of Atxurra, which has suffered from significant anthropic activity over the last century but, in spite of this, it contains an extraordinarily well-preserved archaeological context associated with one of the main decorated panels of the cave.…”