Yacimientos arqueológicos de la Araña, Archaeological site in La Araña, Spain
Yacimientos arqueológicos de la Araña is an archaeological site on the eastern shore of Málaga Bay with seven excavation areas featuring caves and rock shelters, plus a visitor center. The caves hold layered deposits from multiple prehistoric periods, each revealing traces of human settlement and activity.
The site shows continuous human occupation from the Upper Pleistocene through the Neolithic, with evidence of early humans, Neanderthals, and later arriving groups. Each period left behind its own tools and remains, documenting how human life changed over tens of thousands of years.
The name comes from the surrounding landscape, and the caves reveal how early people made their homes in rock shelters overlooking the bay. Different groups returned to these same spots across thousands of years, showing how certain places held meaning for them.
Access is limited and requires advance planning, so check on current arrangements before visiting. The visitor center provides shelter from weather and explains what you will see in the caves themselves.
One cave, Navarro IV, holds hundreds of rock markings including a rare animal figure surrounded by abstract forms. These markings connect this place to other artistic traditions found elsewhere in the region and show how early inhabitants expressed themselves creatively.
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