New Neanderthal Hearth Discovered at the Coves de Moià, Dating Back Nearly 40,000 Years

This summer’s excavations at the Coves del Toll and Coves de les Teixoneres (Moià, Moianès) have uncovered a new hearth dated to between 38,000 and 40,000 years ago—an especially critical period for understanding the final stages of Neanderthal presence in Western Europe. The discovery took the research team by surprise and reinforces the importance of this archaeological complex as a long-term record of Neanderthal occupation in Catalonia.

“We weren’t expecting it,” says Dr. Jordi Rosell, professor at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, researcher at IPHES-CERCA, and scientific director of the excavation. According to Rosell, this new evidence “confirms that Neanderthal groups may have persisted in the Moianès for several millennia longer than in other parts of the continent.” The discovery comes during what Rosell describes as a “transitional” field season, laying the groundwork for an especially promising campaign in 2026.

A Key Site for Understanding Neanderthal Behavioural Evolution

The new hearth adds to an exceptional archaeological sequence that spans almost the entire known timeframe of Neanderthal occupation in southern Europe. Last year, the excavations reached layers dating back as far as 230,000 years, where an unprecedented faunal accumulation was documented, including remains of rhinoceroses, deer, horses, bears, and other large mammals. This season, the team has begun excavating those levels in detail, and preliminary finds suggest the possible presence of a large mammal jawbone.

“We have a very complete sequence that allows us to study how Neanderthal behaviour evolved over time, how they moved across the territory, adapted to environmental changes, and how the surrounding landscape transformed,” Rosell explains.

Excavation Work at the Entrance, Interior and Exterior of the Caves

This season’s archaeological work has focused on several key areas across both caves. At Cova de les Teixoneres, the team carried out excavations at both the rear and the entrance. It was in this entrance area that, starting in 2016, researchers uncovered Neanderthal teeth and other fragmentary human remains. Although recovering complete bones in this context is difficult, Rosell points out that “modern analytical techniques allow us to identify and study highly fragmented remains with great precision.”

At Cova del Toll, efforts are concentrated in the outer area of the cave, near a former hibernation den of cave bears. The aim is to locate possible campsite areas or zones for processing faunal resources—evidence that could shed new light on how Neanderthal groups organised their activities outside the cave environment.

A Unique Window into the Neanderthal Past

The Coves de Moià offer a rich and continuous Palaeolithic archaeological record. “They are one of the few sites in southern Europe where we can study the long-term evolution of a Neanderthal population across more than 200,000 years,” says Rosell. In addition to the site’s scientific value, he highlights its human relevance: “Neanderthals are our closest relatives—they’re part of our origins. If they had a larger brain than ours and a technology almost as advanced, why did they disappear while we survived? That question should make us reflect on the fragility of our own species.”

With the discovery of this new hearth and the ongoing excavation of even older levels, the Coves del Toll and les Teixoneres are consolidating their status as a key reference site for the study of the Middle Palaeolithic in Catalonia and southern Europe.

Funding

Research at the Coves del Toll and Teixoneres is funded through the project “Competència, Co-Evolució i Comensalisme: l’Ús d’Ambients Càrstics per Humans i Carnívors durant el Paleolític Mitjà” (Ref. CLT009-22-00045), supported by the Departament de Cultura of the Generalitat de Catalunya, and through the Ministry of Science and Innovation project “Comportamiento y paleoecología neandertal en ecosistemas mediterráneos” (Ref. PID2022-138590NB-C41). The project also receives logistical and financial support from the Moià Town Council.