Nerja caves
| Nerja caves
|
||
|---|---|---|
 Nerja caves |
||
| Location: | Spain | |
|
Geographic location: |
36 ° 45 '43.2 " N , 3 ° 50' 41.5" W | |
|
||
| Type: | Stalactite cave | |
| Discovery: | 1959 | |
| Overall length: | 4,823 meters | |
| Website: | cuevadenerja.es (Spanish and English) | |
The Nerja Cave (Spanish: Cueva de Nerja ) is a stalactite cave in Spain that was discovered by chance in January 1959. It consists of a series of cave galleries that stretch for almost 3 miles. It is located near the city of Nerja in the Spanish province of Málaga, was declared a protected cultural asset in 2006 and is therefore part of Spain's historical heritage. Thanks to the numerous finds of human remains and references to burial rites, Nerja is important for research on the prehistoric population of Andalusia.
The caves were discovered on January 12, 1959 by five friends who entered through a narrow shaft known as “La Mina”. This forms one of the two natural entrances to the cave system. A third entrance was artificially created in 1960 to allow easy access for tourists. The cave is divided into two main parts known as Nerja I and Nerja II. Nerja I contains exhibitions open to the public and is accessible via stairs and concrete paths. One of the chambers forms a natural amphitheater in which concerts are regularly held. Nerja II is not open to the public and consists of the lower galleries discovered in 1959 and the upper galleries discovered in 1960.
In 2012, paintings depicting seals were discovered in the Nerja Cave . At first it was assumed that they were around 43,000 years old and the first known works of art in human history. However, scientists point out that the dating was done on the basis of coal residues found nearby and not on the paintings themselves. The age of the paintings therefore had to be questioned. However, a 2017 study showed that the age of the paintings is between 20,000 and 18,000 years cal. BP . This is an indication that humans stayed there during the early Magdalenian period, and not Neanderthals .
discovery
On January 12, 1959, the cave was discovered by five young men from the neighboring village of Maro when they saw a flock of bats emerge from a crevice. Initially, two stalactites blocked the narrow path to the galleries. After removing them, they came to a large gallery where they found some skeletons and ceramic bowls. They spread their discovery and 100 days after a second exploration tour, photos were published in the local newspaper Sur. As a result, the Nerja Cave gained international fame.
Development
After several explorations, the Spanish authorities became aware of the scientific importance of the cave and commissioned a delegation of archaeologists from Malaga to provide better access. Up until this point it was very difficult to enter the cave through the shaft.
A new entrance was sought in various galleries, until a new entrance could finally be created under the thick roots of a juniper tree. A large rock that had blocked access for thousands of years was removed for this purpose. The first archaeological excavations and preparation work for the opening of the cave for tourism were carried out in 1960.
Several expeditions have been conducted to explore the cave and its various galleries. In 1969 a narrow passage was discovered in the cataclysm hall leading to the so-called upper galleries and the new galleries. The spectacular formations and prehistoric remains located here cannot yet be viewed by visitors. Since then, the Nerja Cave Foundation ( Fundación Cueva de Nerja ) has promoted research into the cave and established a scientific committee made up of geologists, biologists, archaeologists, paleontologists and other experts. This organizes congresses, improvements to equipment and research as well as cultural activities for the public.
description
General
In the caves you can learn more about their history and use as a Neolithic burial place, a hyena dwelling, a pantry (or a cold room, because of their consistently cool temperatures), for the storage of agricultural products, as a shelter for animals and a home for people . There is also an exhibition with information about the culture that was there, with remnants of their everyday life, e.g. B. Pottery, tools, and early herbal medicines.
The caves are divided into three areas or galleries: the lower, upper, and new galleries. Only the lower galleries are open to the public. Exceptions to this are certain areas such as “La Mina” itself and the hall of the sinkhole. There are significant archaeological remains that are currently being researched by experts. The upper and new galleries are closed to the public and only accessible to researchers. The reason for this are the valuable examples of cave art and the very delicate and artful geological formations. In addition, it would be impossible to monitor the entire cave labyrinth.
Galleries
The total area is 35,484 m² and the total volume is 264,379 m³. The cave consists of three main areas.
Lower or tourist galleries
Surface: 9,371 m², volume: 106,286 m³
- Hall of the Spirits ( Sala de los Fantasmas ): It is named after a series of stalactites and stalagmites that cast eerie shadows against the cave walls.
- Crib Hall ( Sala del Belén ): A winding corridor leads from the Hall of Spirits to the Crib Hall. This owes its name to the cave formations that are reminiscent of the Christmas crib. In the hall there is an exhibition with reproductions of wall paintings and archaeological finds, for example on burial rites. Until 2007, part of this exhibition was the skull of the 8,000-year-old skeleton of "Pepita", which was found in the hall.
- Waterfall Room ( Sala de la Cascada or Sala del Ballet ): This room houses a collection of speleothems (cave formations) that resemble a dry stone waterfall. Every year the International Music and Dance Festival (Festival Internacional de Música y Danza Cueva de Nerja) takes place here.
- Cataclysm hall ( Sala del Cataclismo ): It is a chaotic cave full of debris and rubble from fallen stalactites that fell and were destroyed in a massive earthquake 80,000 years ago.
- Sinkhole Hall ( Sala de la Torca ): This is where important archaeological remains are currently being explored.
Upper galleries
- Hall of the Columns of Hercules ( Sala de las Columnas de Hércules )
- Immense Hall ( Sala de la Inmensidad )
- Gallery of the Plains ( Galería de los Niveles )
- Fish Hall ( Sala de los Peces )
New galleries
- Hall of the Spear ( Sala de la Lanza )
- Room of the Mountain ( Sala de la Montaña )
State of research
prehistory
About 5 million years ago, during the Upper Miocene , water penetrated the crevices of the marble rock and dissolved it. This created a huge underground cave. Seismic movements and landslides during the Holocene forced the water to find new paths through the cave system, which began to form the huge stalactites and stalagmites that can still be seen in the cave today. Skeletons found in the caves indicate that they were inhabited from around 25,100 BP through the Bronze Age. Cave paintings from the Paleolithic and Post- Paleolithic periods have been discovered on the walls . Starting at 25,100 BP, the caves were used by a small group of people for 4,000 years depending on the time of year. In the periods when humans did not inhabit the cave, it was occupied by cave hyenas. At around 21,100 BP, people lived in the caves year-round, and the number of residents increased. A culture developed that lived by hunting in the immediate vicinity. This is illustrated by the cave paintings that were found there and were created during this time. Pine nuts and snails were also important elements of the diet. The hunting culture continued to develop until around 10,800 BP, and other animals such as goats, rabbits, fish, and marine mammals were targets of the hunt. Stone and bone tools, as well as a wide variety of animal bones, shells and bones from the period, including the remains of animals from near the coast, have been found in the cave. At 4,570 BP, people kept domesticated animals and used the area around the cave for agriculture and pottery production. Textiles and more complex ceramics were produced at around 3,870 BP. Parts of the cave were used as a burial chamber.
Paintings
The researchers who first studied the cave paintings of seals developed the hypothesis that the pictures were made by Neanderthals ( Homo neanderthalensis ). This would have meant that it would have been the oldest known drawings in the world, and the first known, drawn by Neanderthals. In 2017, however, new research led to the conclusion that the drawings were from a later period. The final data was provided by direct 14C dating of the colors. The analyzes were carried out on charcoal splinters from coniferous trees, but also on the carbonate deposits that were below and above them. Both samples were dated to between 20,000 and 18,000 years ( cal BP ), indicating the presence of anatomically modern man ( Homo sapiens ) in the upper galleries of the cave during the early Magdalenian period. A uranium-thorium dating published in 2020 also contradicted the earlier Neanderthal hypothesis.
Protected cultural asset ( Bien de Interés Cultural )
The powerful cultural richness of the Nerja Cave has resulted in its being declared a Historic Artistic Monument , a year after its opening to tourism, in accordance with Decree No. 988 of May 25, 1961 .
See also
literature
- Liñán Baena, C., del Rosal Padial, Y., Fernández Rodríguez, LE, Atencia Prieto, A., Jimena Fernández, D. y Ortega Jiménez, A .: Trabajos de investigación y conservación en Cueva Pintada (Nerja, Málaga) . In: B. Andreo y JJ Durán (eds.): El karst y el hombre: las cuevas como Patrimonio Mundial. Nerja (Máaga) , 2016. Asociación de Cuevas Turísticas Españolas, pp. 91-102.
- Vadillo Pérez, I., Ojeda Rodríguez, L., Benavente Herrera, J., Liñán Baena, C., Carrasco Cantos, F. y del Rosal Padial, Y .: Datación del CO2 mediante 14C del aire de la zona no saturada en the experimental park of the Cueva de Nerja (Andalucía, Máaga) . In: B. Andreo y JJ Durán (eds.): El karst y el hombre: las cuevas como Patrimonio Mundial. Nerja (Máaga), 2016. Asociación de Cuevas Turísticas Españolas, pp. 327–334.
- Ángel Ramírez Doña; Cristina Liñán Baena; et al .: Cueva de Nerja: Bien de Interés Cultural con categoría de Zona Arqueológica . Fundación Cueva de Nerja, 2007, ISBN 9788492026869 .
- Aura Tortosa, JE, Badal García, E., García Borja, P., García Puchol, O., Pascual Benito, JL, Pérez Jordá, G., Pérez Ripoll, M. y Jordá Pardo, JF: Cueva de Nerja (Málaga ). Los niveles neolíticos de la Sala del Vestíbulo . In: P. Arias, R. Ontañón, C. García-Moncó: III Congreso del Neolítico en la Península Ibérica . Instituto Internacional de Santander, Santander 2005, ISBN 84-8102-975-0 , pp. 975-987.
- Aura Tortosa, JE, Jordá Pardo, JF, Pérez M., Badal García, E., Morales Pérez, JV, Avezuela, B., Tiffagom, M., Jardón Giner, P .: Treinta años de investigación sobre el Paleolítico Superior en AndalucíaLa Cueva de Nerja (Málaga, España) . In: Xavier Mangado Llach (coord): El Paleolítico superior peninsular: novedades del siglo XXI: [homenaje al profesor Javier Fortea] . Jornadas Internacionales sobre el Paleolítico Superior Peninsular. Novedades del Siglo XXI, Barcelona 2010, ISBN 84-923961-7-2 , pp. 149-172.
Web links
- Sixty years ago, five friends discovered a spectacular stalactite cave - and thus founded tourism on the Costa del Sol from Neue Zürcher Zeitung of December 30, 2019
- Further radiocarbon dates for the Upper Paleolithic of El Mirón cave
- La cronología del tránsito Magdaleniense / Aziliense en la región cantábrica
- Law 16/1985 of the Historical Heritage of Spain of June 25, 1985
- Decree No. 194 of October 31, 2006 on the protected cultural property with the category of Archaeological Zone
Individual evidence
- ↑ Foundation of the Nerja Cave (Fundación Cueva de Nerja)
- ↑ a b 59 aniversario del descubrimiento de la Cueva de Nerja
- ↑ a b La primera obra de arte de la humanidad
- ↑ a b José L. Sanchidrián et al .: New perspectives for 14C dating of parietal markings using CaCO3 thin layers: An example in Nerja cave (Spain). In: Journal of Archaeological Science. Volume 12, 2017, pp. 74-80, doi: 10.1016 / j.jasrep.2017.01.028 .
- ↑ Ángel Ramírez Doña; Cristina Liñán Baena; et al .: Cueva de Nerja: Bien de Interés Cultural con categoría de Zona Arqueológica. Fundación Cueva de Nerja, 2007, ISBN 9788492026869 , p. 15: "intrigados al ver salir una bandada de murciélagos de una estrecha grieta de la pared, decidieron realizar una expedición a la gruta." (Curious when they saw a flock of bats emerge from a narrow crevice in the rock, [the five young men] decided to examine the cave more closely.)
- ↑ a b c La secuencia Arqueológica de la Cueva de Nerja
- ^ Exposición permanente
- ↑ Conoce el mundo subteráneo: La cueva de Nerja
-
↑ Edwige Pons-Branchu et al .: U-series dating at Nerja cave reveal open system. Questioning the Neanderthal origin of Spanish rock art. In: Journal of Archaeological Science. Volume 117, 2020, 105120, doi: 10.1016 / j.jas.2020.105120 .
Doubts about the Nerja cave art having been done by Neanderthals. On: eurekalert.org from June 2, 2020. - ^ Boletín Oficial del Estado