A high-altitude cave in the eastern Pyrenees has yielded signs of repeated prehistoric occupation spanning thousands of years, including possible early copper mining and the remains of a child.
Archaeologists excavated Cave 338 in the Freser Valley at more than 7,300 feet above sea level. They identified four layers of activity, with the oldest charcoal dated to around 6,000 years ago. The second and third layers contained 23 hearths holding crushed and burned fragments of green mineral that may be malachite. Radiocarbon dating places one hearth at roughly 3,000 years old and others between 5,500 and 4,000 years ago. Researchers recovered a child's finger bone and baby tooth from the third layer. Additional finds included a shell pendant and a brown bear tooth pendant dated to the second millennium BC. We found a really rich archaeological sequence, said Prof Carlos Tornero of the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution. Excavation is scheduled to resume this summer to clarify the mineral's identity and search for further burials.