High in the Pyrenees, where the landscape may appear untouched and difficult for people to survive, researchers have uncovered a surprising human story. New radiocarbon evidence shows that people repeatedly lived in these mountain areas for thousands of years.
A new open database created by researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) has revealed a continuous record of human activity stretching back more than 10,000 years. The findings challenge the idea that high mountains were empty spaces in the past. For years, high-mountain environments were often viewed as places that early humans avoided because of their difficult conditions. However, new archaeological research from the Pyrenees is changing that picture, as per a report by Phys Org.
Researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) have created a database containing 124 carbon-14-dated samples from 45 archaeological sites. These findings helped build a detailed timeline of human occupation across the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park (PNAESM).
The study, published in Archeologica Data, provides the first openly available systematic collection of absolute dates from a high-mountain area of the Pyrenees. The research includes laboratory reports, sample details, archaeological contexts, and analysis methods so the work can be studied and repeated by others.
The results show that humans were present above 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) for more than 10,000 years. Several sites revealed evidence of repeated occupation over thousands of years, showing that these mountains were not simply temporary stopping points.
One of the most important locations was the Obagues de Ratera rock shelter, located at 2,320 meters (7,612 feet). Researchers found evidence that humans first occupied the site around 10,000 years ago. Other important locations included Cova del Sardo, with human activity dating back 7,500 years, and the Portarró rock shelter, where occupations began around 7,300 years ago.
The Obagues de Ratera site stands out because of its extraordinary timeline. Archaeological evidence shows that it was used during the Mesolithic, the transition into the Neolithic, the Neolithic period, the Chalcolithic, the Early and Middle Bronze Age, the beginning of the Iron Age, the High Middle Ages, and even the 19th and 20th centuries.
“This is an exceptional temporal sequence that very few sites in Catalonia have, not only in the high mountains,” says Guillem Salvador, co-author of the research, as per a report by Phys Org.
Why did humans stay in these mountains?
The discoveries suggest that people were visiting and living in these areas shortly after the last glacial period. During this time, the climate was gradually warming, although small glaciers still remained in parts of the landscape.
Hunter-gatherer groups were already moving through alpine areas of the Pyrenees, showing that these environments were part of human life much earlier than previously understood.
The study also found that human activity increased during certain periods. Researchers identified stronger signs of occupation toward the end of the Neolithic, between around 5,300 and 4,500 years ago, as well as during late antiquity and the beginning of the medieval period.
The research also uncovered evidence of ancient construction. At the Portarró rock shelter, archaeologists found structures with dry-stone foundations and wood dating back about 5,000 years. The remains are currently considered the oldest known example of stone architecture in the Pyrenees.
What did the ancient sites reveal?
The database helped researchers track how human presence changed over time and how it connected with environmental shifts.
“The data allows us to track this information and shows a highly relevant fact: The sites located in high-mountain areas, places which for us would be inaccessible and inhospitable, often present long periods of human occupation. Many other sites in which we carried out small-scale sampling also show us that they were occupied or inhabited at several different times,” Ermengol Gassiot explains.
The project represents more than two decades of research at the national park. Gassiot and his collaborators analyzed archaeological evidence gathered over many years and used statistical methods to better understand patterns of human activity.
Researchers also compared these findings with major historical periods, including the time of Ötzi, the Tyrolean Iceman. According to Gassiot, the data suggests that when Ötzi crossed the Tisenjoch glacier around 5,300 years ago, other high-altitude regions like PNAESM were also experiencing increased human presence.
The 380 archaeological sites identified in the park include different types of structures. These include possible living areas, rock shelters, enclosures, and stone circles that may have been connected to burial practices, as per a report by Phys Org.
How did researchers uncover the timeline?
Radiocarbon dating played a central role in revealing this hidden history. By examining organic samples and determining their age, scientists were able to create a clearer picture of how people used these mountains over thousands of years.
The open-access database now allows researchers worldwide to explore this information and compare it with other studies. It also changes the way scientists view high-mountain landscapes.
Rather than being untouched or empty places, the Pyrenees show evidence of repeated human activity through periods of climate change and environmental challenges.
The findings demonstrate that people adapted to these mountain environments across generations, returning to the same areas and leaving behind traces of their lives.
The research not only expands knowledge about ancient communities but also provides a way to connect human history with long-term ecological changes taking place in mountain regions.
FAQs
Q: How long have humans lived in these mountains?A: More than 10,000 years.
Q: What helped prove the discovery?
A: Radiocarbon dating.
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