ʻNational Geographicʼ includes the corpses found in Begues in its top ten archaeological finds of 2013
The prestigious journal National Geographic has selected the four human skeletons found in Begues (Barcelona) to be part of its top ten archaeological finds of 2013. Corpses are dated at about 6,400 years ago and were buried following an unknown ritual in the Iberian Peninsula. The journal also highlights other finds such as the Black Death graveyard located at London city centre, the most ancient papyrus in the world, found in Egypt, or the earliest European wine production evidence, in Greece.
The prestigious journal National Geographic has selected the four human skeletons found in Begues (Barcelona) to be part of its top ten archaeological finds of 2013. Corpses are dated at about 6,400 years ago and were buried following an unknown ritual in the Iberian Peninsula. The journal also highlights other finds such as the Black Death graveyard located at London city centre, the most ancient papyrus in the world, found in Egypt, or the earliest European wine production evidence, in Greece.
It is not the first time that National Geographic includes remains found in Can Sadurní cave (Begues, Barcelona) in its top ten archaeological findings of the year. In fact, the Encantat de Begues (Begues' Enchanted), the most ancient prehistoric human figurine made of pottery found in the Iberian Peninsula, was included in the top ten of 2012.
In November, excavations in Can Sadurní cave discovered four human skeletons dated at about 6,400 years ago which were buried following an unknown ritual in the Iberian Peninsula. Few caves have necropolis dated at such an ancient period: the beginning of Middle Neolithic. In addition, remains are particularly important as they are nearly complete. In fact, a campaign carried out previously identified some buried bodies, which were not so well preserved but belong to the same sepulchral layer, and the most ancient European remains of beer consumption. Excavations at Can Sadurní are carried out by Col·lectiu per la Investigació de la Prehistòria i lʼArqueologia del Garraf-Ordal (CIPAG), together with the Seminar of Studies and Prehistoric Research (SERP) of the UB.
In the case of the remains which have just been found, a light landslide from the outer part of the cave took place when corpses were quite complete or they had just began the decomposition process; it protected corpses, so at the moment when they were found, they still remained in the position in which they were buried. They correspond to one 50-year-old adult male, a sub-adult, and two children, who were about 3-4 and 5-6 years old. The male individual has some burial goods with him: an ovoid glass with two handles and some fragments of two goats and one calf. A polished bone pendant was also found under the left arm of the
Corpses lay in a line, curled up in foetal position. Individuals rested on their right side; they have their back turned to the north wall of the cave. Lower extremities were bended, knees were level with thorax and legs were bended towards thighs. Arms were bended between legs and head. Corpsesʼ extreme foetal position indicates that they might have been tied and wrapped in a shroud.
The four corpses were not buried; they were just placed around the north wall of the cave, leaving a one metre space between them. It is estimated that this burial ritual was performed during more than two-hundred years. More sediment accumulated over corpses; later, more corpses were placed over new sediments. Then, a stronger landslide took place spreading the remains of the last corpses placed there. In 1999, researchers found the shard of a mug in which oxalate and barley-corn phytoliths were identified. Researchers determined that they were the most ancient beer fermentation remains found in Europe.
A combustion structure was observed too. According to its characteristics, it seems to be derived from only one particular episode which may have only last some hours, but powerful enough to create an ash layer. Although it is thought that it belongs to a previous burial, other campaigns had already identified in the cave other combustion structures that are contemporary to burial. That suggests that there is a relationship between combustion structures and burial rituals. To be exact, they might correspond to fires lighted to keep vigil over the death the day before their disposal inside the cave.
Can Sadurní excavations belong to CIPAGʼs project “La prehistòria al sud-est del Llobregat. De la costa al massís del Garraf-Ordal” (Prehistory in south-east Llobregat. From the coast to Garraf - Ordal Massif), coordinated by Josep Maria Fullola, professor of Prehistory at the UB, and Manuel Edo, archaeologist, prehistorian and president of CIPAG. Excavations have been led by researchers Manuel Edo and Ferran Antolín for thirty-five years. Experts and laboratories from several Catalan universities collaborate in the research: SERP of the University of Barcelona, the laboratories of archaozoological, archaeobotanical and paleoanthropological analysis of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the University of Lleida, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), among other institutions.