A cave high in the eastern Pyrenees is reshaping ideas about how prehistoric people used mountain landscapes. New excavations suggest that, far from passing through, communities returned repeatedly to the site over thousands of years—likely to work copper-rich minerals.
The site, known as Cave 338, sits at 2,235 metres above sea level in the Freser Valley. Its altitude alone once made sustained human activity seem unlikely. But archaeologists now say the evidence tells a different story: this was a place people came back to, generation after generation, beginning around 5,500 years ago.
At the centre of the discovery are a series of hearths uncovered near the cave entrance. Researchers have identified 23 in total, spread across two main occupation layers. Inside them were fragments of green stone believed to be malachite, a mineral used in early copper production.
Many of these fragments show clear signs of heating. Crucially, other materials in the same layers do not. That contrast suggests the burning was deliberate.
“This wasn’t incidental,” the researchers note. “Fire was being used in a controlled way, likely as part of processing the mineral.”
If confirmed, the findings would mark Cave 338 as an early example of copper working at high altitude—something rarely documented for this period.
The excavation itself has been limited in size, covering about six square metres, but it has revealed a dense sequence of activity. Four layers have been identified. The oldest contains charcoal dated to roughly 6,000 years ago. Above it are layers rich in hearths and artefacts, indicating repeated visits over long stretches of time.
Radiocarbon dating places the most active phase between 5,500 and 4,000 years ago, with later use continuing until around 3,000 years ago. The hearths overlap in places, showing that visitors reused the same areas, though the separations between them suggest long gaps between occupations.
Taken together, the evidence points to short stays rather than permanent settlement. Groups likely arrived with specific tasks in mind, stayed for a limited period, and then left—only to return again years or even centuries later.
Alongside the signs of mineral processing, archaeologists uncovered human remains: a child’s finger bone and a baby tooth. Both are thought to belong to a young individual, though it is not clear whether they came from the same person. The find raises the possibility that the cave may also have been used for burial, but there is not yet enough evidence to confirm this.
Personal objects found at the site add another layer to the picture. Two pendants were recovered from a later layer: one made from a marine shell, the other from a brown bear tooth. The shell ornament has parallels at other prehistoric sites in Catalonia, hinting at shared practices or connections between communities. The bear tooth pendant is less common and may reflect something more specific to the local environment.
Much remains unresolved. Researchers are still working to confirm the identity of the green mineral and trace its origin. The excavation has not yet reached the deepest layers of the cave, leaving open the possibility of older material below.
Fieldwork is set to resume this summer. For now, Cave 338 offers a clear message: high mountain regions were not simply crossed and forgotten. For some prehistoric groups, they were places worth returning to—again and again.
Sources : IPHES-CERCA