The Cirne de Xàbia Foundation promotes excavation and research in the Cova del Comte of Pedreguer after the large number of fragments of bone and molluscs found.
The foundation is committed to the latest archaeological technologies in order to reconstruct how the Marina Alta was 22.000 years ago. The campaign began a few days ago with the screening of materials and the excavation in the archaeological site of Pedreguer in which they have found engravings and cave paintings from 22.000 years ago. In this work, archaeologists have to sift through materials and look for microhazards that will help to reconstruct what the region was like in the Upper Palaeolithic.
In fact, the fifth campaign, which has a subsidy from the Alicante Provincial Council (it will be used for carbon 14 studies) and sponsored by the Town hall de Pedreguer, has now begun the laborious work of sifting the materials, which is being carried out at the headquarters of the Fundació Cirne.
The mayor of Pedreguer, Sergi Ferrús, has visited archaeologists and has been interested in the evolution of research. For his part, the archaeologist Josep Casabó, has indicated that "It is a site with brutal potential. Hence we have to stop the excavation to make a thorough study of these materials".
Meticulous work
Among the sediment are a large number of bone fragments, small flint borers, both terrestrial and aquatic molluscs (several of these are pierced since they were used as beads on a necklace), carbons that will allow 14 carbon analysis and refine the chronology or ocher pebbles (pigment that was used in cave paintings).
All of those microhairs will be sent to specialists for a thorough study. They are fundamental to reconstruct the climate, the environmental reality, the diet (through the fragments of bone) and how the paleolithic hunters who took refuge in the Cova del Comte.
The excavations started are carried out by the archaeologists Josep Casabó, Joan de Déu Boronat, Pasqual Costa and Ximo Bolufer and also students from the Universitat de València and UNED participate.
