Meeting between IPHES-CERCA and the City Council of Vandellòs and l'Hospitalet de l'Infant to assess the results of the excavation in La Balma de Castelló

On September 17th, a meeting took place between research staff from IPHES-CERCA and representatives from the City Council of Vandellòs and l'Hospitalet de l'Infant, led by the mayor, Assumpció Castellví, the councilor for the Environment, Laura Olmo, and the municipal technicians from Culture and the Environment. On behalf of IPHES-CERCA, Dr. Josep Maria Vergès, researcher responsible for the intervention in La Balma de Castelló, participated.

The meeting served to share the results of the archaeological intervention carried out in April in La Balma de Castelló (also known as Cova del Cingle), where two small coves were opened to verify the archaeological potential of the sedimentary deposit of the cavity. During the work, remains from the Neolithic and Paleolithic periods were recovered, which confirm the good expectations generated by the discovery on the surface of a deer tooth (Cervus elaphus) of Pleistocene age.

At the meeting it was agreed that the results of this research will be made public during the autumn, with the aim of bringing scientific knowledge closer to the public and reinforcing the heritage value of this place.

The archaeological intervention in La Balma de Castelló, carried out between 10 and 25 April, is part of a research project by IPHES-CERCA in collaboration with the City Council of Vandellòs and Hospitalet de l'Infant. The work also had a strong training component, as students from the Erasmus Mundus interuniversity master's degree in Quaternary Archaeology and Human Evolution (URV) participated, within the subject "Excavation methods and recording in Quaternary archaeology".

The meeting on September 17 also served to propose new joint lines of work for the next four years, with the aim of deepening knowledge of the history of the municipality and highlighting its heritage. The Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC) will also be involved in this collaborative project.

IPHES-CERCA and the City Council of Vandellòs and l'Hospitalet de l'Infant highlight that this alliance is a good example of how scientific research and local institutions can join efforts to generate knowledge, conserve heritage and strengthen the cultural identity of the territory.