Prehistoric human tracks in Ojo Guareña Caves (Burgos, Spain)

Abstract

The archaeological heritage of the Ojo Guareña complex shows an impressive record of past human culture and behaviour. The caves’ soaring use is evidenced by the over 80 sites exposing living areas, rock art, human footprints, burials, and a variety of archaeological objects encompassing the Middle Palaeolithic to medieval times. The human tracks’ site of “Galerías de las Huellas”, inside Palomera Cave, is one of the most singular yet vulnerable of the sites. The exceptional record consists of hundreds of soft clay-imprinted barefoot human traces decorating two floor passages of the southern slope network of galleries of San Bernabé’s valley, ~1,250 m away from the closest cave entrance, Palomera cave. More than 1,000 footprints have been identified using 3D laser scan and GIS, depicting at least 16 tracks belonging to 8 individuals in Galería I. The “back and forth” bi-directionality of the tracks may be interpreted as cave exploration as prehistoric men walked in and out of the passages. The course is ~200 m from San Bernabé valley, through a large room with enormous collapsed blocks and both passages. Several charcoal marks on the walls of the passages have been dated to 15,600 ± 230 years BP.