Video of the Urbasa bison discovery
The recent discovery of a nearly complete 4,000-year-old bison skeleton, with a copper arrowhead embedded between its ribs, in the Sima de Arrafela (Urbasa and Andía Natural Park, Navarra, Spain) has received wide media coverage. Remains of a cave lion, an extinct species that disappeared around 12,000 years ago, were also recovered from the same cavity.
The assemblage, dated to the end of the Chalcolithic period, represents one of the most significant archaeological discoveries made in Navarra in recent decades. The exceptionally well-preserved skeleton provides direct evidence of the interaction between prehistoric human communities and large wild fauna.
Among the researchers involved in the study is Dr. Antonio Rodríguez-Hidalgo, from the Instituto de Arqueología-Mérida (CSIC-Junta de Extremadura) and an associated researcher at IPHES-CERCA.
IPHES-CERCA would like to congratulate the entire team responsible for this extraordinary discovery, among whom are researchers and close friends of our centre.
