Lezetxiki, Archaeological cave in Arrasate/Mondragón, Spain
Lezetxiki is a cave system with several chambers that contain layer upon layer of deposits from different prehistoric times. Each level reveals artifacts and bones left behind as different groups occupied this shelter across many millennia.
Excavations from 1956 to 1968 uncovered remains of both Homo Heidelbergensis and Neanderthals at this site. This evidence shows that people were using this cave shelter across more than one hundred thousand years of prehistory.
The site reveals how early people lived and made tools in these chambers. Evidence shows they gathered and exchanged shells with other groups, suggesting they had connections beyond this single location.
Advance registration through the local town hall is required before visiting, and staff there can provide details about tour arrangements. A guided visit with experienced personnel helps visitors understand the significance of what they are seeing in each chamber.
Among the most striking finds was the arm bone of a female Homo Heidelbergensis, revealing that women of this species lived and died at this location. Remains of extinct animals like cave bears and giant deer show that these early people shared the landscape with now-vanished wildlife.
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