The Camp dels Ninots site confirms its palaeontological potential is greater than previously thought
The 2025 excavation campaign, conducted from 19 May to 13 June, has expanded the study area and led to the recovery of numerous fish and amphibian fossils from the Pliocene
The palaeontological site of Camp dels Ninots, located in Caldes de Malavella (La Selva, Catalonia), has further consolidated its scientific significance following the 2025 excavation campaign. Fieldwork carried out between 19 May and 13 June has revealed that the potential of the site is even greater than previously estimated.
One of the key outcomes of this year’s campaign was the geological prospecting of peripheral areas, which confirmed that the fossiliferous layers associated with the former volcanic lake extend over a wider area than previously known. This finding opens up new opportunities for future interventions and reinforces the status of Camp dels Ninots as a reference site for the European Pliocene.
In addition, fossil-rich layers corresponding to the ancient lakebed—characterised by fine sediments and excellent preservation—have been excavated. From these layers, a large number of fish and amphibian remains have been recovered. These types of fossils, highly sensitive to taphonomic conditions, attest to the site’s exceptional preservation and its relevance for reconstructing lacustrine ecosystems from the Pliocene epoch.
The campaign involved researchers from various institutions, all working to advance our understanding of the palaeoenvironment and biodiversity of Camp dels Ninots, a site designated as a Cultural Asset of National Interest.
About the site
Ongoing research at Camp dels Ninots has revealed a continuous and well-preserved sedimentary sequence with high temporal resolution—an invaluable record for reconstructing climate and landscape evolution in Europe during the Pliocene. This period, still poorly represented in the fossil record, is of great scientific interest as it immediately precedes the glacial–interglacial cycles that define the present-day Mediterranean climate.
Two years ago, the Camp dels Ninots research project celebrated its twentieth anniversary. Over the years, the research team has demonstrated that the more than 40 metres of lacustrine sediments accumulated in the volcanic crater preserve a complete ecosystem, offering vital information about the biodiversity of this key moment in Earth’s history.
A multidisciplinary project that shapes future generations
The excavation was directed by Dr Gerard Campeny and Dr Bruno Gómez de Soler, both researchers at IPHES-CERCA. Around twenty professionals took part, including archaeologists, palaeontologists, biologists, geologists, and conservation specialists, primarily from IPHES-CERCA, but also from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), the Institut Català de Paleontologia (ICP), the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), University College Dublin, and the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. Students from the Interuniversity Master’s in Quaternary Archaeology and Human Evolution (URV and Universitat Oberta de Catalunya – UOC) also participated.
The excavation project at Camp dels Ninots is funded by the Department of Culture of the Government of Catalonia through the four-year research project “The Plio-Pleistocene of Camp dels Ninots and the Prelitoral Depression: Palaeoclimatic Evolution, Faunal and Human Dispersals III”, and also receives logistical and financial support from the Caldes de Malavella City Council.