Discovery: Traces of 7,000-Year-Old Copper Processing

A discovery in the Pyrenees Mountains in Spain could rewrite part of the early history of metallurgy. Dozens of greenstone fragments found in a cave located more than 2,200 meters above sea level indicate that prehistoric people processed copper at the site as early as 7,000 years ago. The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology and cited by Live Science, suggests that the cave was used as a seasonal camp for mining and processing minerals for more than four millennia.

The researchers discovered nearly 200 greenstone fragments inside, along with charcoal, prehistoric hearths, human remains, animal bones and ceramic fragments - clear indications of repeated and organized human activity.

• Malachite and fire: the beginnings of metallurgy

Analysis shows that the green rock is most likely malachite, a mineral from which copper can be obtained by heating. Its presence in the cave is all the more significant as this mineral does not occur naturally in that place, which indicates its intentional transport and use for processing. The process was relatively simple, but required the control of fire: by heating, malachite was transformed into copper oxide, and then, in the presence of carbon (for example, charcoal), the metal itself resulted. According to archaeologists, many of the discovered fragments show clear traces of burning, which confirms the deliberate use of fire in this process.

• The Pyrenees, integrated into prehistoric exploitation networks

The discovery changes the perception of the role of this region in prehistory. Far from being a marginal territory, the Pyrenees area seems to have been integrated into the mobility and resource exploitation strategies of human communities.

The oldest traces of activity in the cave date back to 5000-4300 BC, but the site was heavily used between 3600 and 2400 BC, during the Copper Age. Objects of symbolic or personal value were also discovered during the same period, such as a pendant made from a Glycymeris shell and a perforated Ursus arctos tooth, possibly worn as an ornament. The presence of human remains, including a milk tooth and a finger bone, suggests that the cave may have also had a funerary role. Archaeologists believe that the site provides the first solid evidence of prehistoric high-altitude settlements in the Pyrenees, characterized by repeated activities and direct exploitation of mineral resources. The research team plans to continue excavations in the coming years, hoping to obtain new clues about how these early communities developed metalworking techniques and used the mountain environment to their advantage.