Two fishing harpoons from 15.000 years ago are found
A team of historians from the Prehistory Research Studies Seminar (SERP) of the University of Barcelona found two crowfoot plantain harpoons from 15.000 years ago created in the upper Palaeolithic era as a fishing tool. They have been found during the July archaeological campaign in the archaeological site of Cova del Parco (Alòs de Balaguer, La Noguera). Up to the present moment, in Catalonia, only two harpoons with these characteristics had been found in an archaeological site in Serinyà, in late 19th century and early 20th researches; this is the first time these fishing tools are found in a scientific excavation.
A team of historians from the Prehistory Research Studies Seminar (SERP) of the University of Barcelona found two crowfoot plantain harpoons from 15.000 years ago created in the upper Palaeolithic era as a fishing tool. They have been found during the July archaeological campaign in the archaeological site of Cova del Parco (Alòs de Balaguer, La Noguera). Up to the present moment, in Catalonia, only two harpoons with these characteristics had been found in an archaeological site in Serinyà, in late 19th century and early 20th researches; this is the first time these fishing tools are found in a scientific excavation.
The harpoons, which correspond to the Magdalenian period (16.000-11.000 BC) are the first ones found in Catalonia in an excavation dated stratus, together with other findings such as animal bones or tools made of stones, bones and horns (bodkins, assegais, needles…). These are archaic harpoons, with small sided tines. Other harpoons were created later on with two rows of tines, but the ones in the site of Cova del Parco are the most archaic ones. There have been found these kind of harpoons in sites of the Cantabrian area, Valencia, Murcia and Andalusia but they are rare and exceptional cases. It makes sense that these fishing tools have been found in the cave since the site is near a river and they are an example of the innovative knowledge of the people of that site.
SERP has worked in the Cova del Parco site since 1987, this year is the 30th anniversary of the first excavations. The team in Cova del Parco recovered other significative elements over the years, such as bear needles and several necklaces made out of marine shells. The studies, directed by the professors Xavier Mangado Llach and Josep Maria Fullola Pericot (UB) and the researcher Marta Sánchez de la Torre (currently in University of Bordeaux), all of them members of SEPR, are in the Quadrennial Research Project entitled “La conca mitja i alta del Segre Durant la Prehistòria” , with the administration permission and economic guarantee from the Archaeology and Paleethnology Service of the Generalitat de Catalunya, as well as the financial support from SGR 2014-108 (Generalitat) and project HAR 2014-55131 (Ministry of Economy and Competiveness) and logistic support from the City Council of Alòs de Balaguer.