First Neanderthal fossils discovered in Navarre: 46,000-year-old hand remains with preserved DNA

Until now, Navarre had remained largely unexplored in terms of the Neanderthal fossil record. Despite abundant archaeological evidence of their presence in the western Pyrenees, no human remains directly attributable to this species had ever been identified in the region. This has now changed with the discovery of six hand fossils belonging to a Neanderthal who lived approximately 46,000 years ago. The remains were recovered a couple of excavation seasons ago at Abauntz Cave, located in Arraitz-Orkin, in the Ultzama Valley (Navarre, Spain).

The discovery represents a milestone in our understanding of Navarre’s prehistory, but its scientific significance extends far beyond the region. The exceptional preservation of the fossils has made it possible to recover ancient DNA and obtain direct radiocarbon dates, providing new opportunities to investigate the biological characteristics and history of the Neanderthal populations that inhabited this area.

The remains were presented this morning at an official event led by the President of the Government of Navarre, María Chivite. The event was also attended by the research project’s co-directors, Dr Andion Arteaga, a researcher at the Centre of New Technologies at the University of Warsaw (Poland) and an associated researcher at IPHES-CERCA, and Dr Mikel Arlegi, a postdoctoral researcher at the Musée de l’Homme in Paris (France), together with many members of the scientific team currently participating in a new excavation campaign at Abauntz Cave.

The discovery is part of a research project initiated by the Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), which continues to play an active role in the archaeological and scientific investigations through researchers and technical staff, including Dr Lucía López-Polín, Dr Andreu Ollé and Aitor Burguet. The project currently brings together an international team of more than twenty-five specialists from different disciplines and institutions, including the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH) and the Instituto de Arqueología de Mérida (IAM, CSIC–Regional Government of Extremadura).

“For the first time, we have human remains that allow us to directly identify the presence of Neanderthals in Navarre. This discovery fills an important gap in the palaeoanthropological record of the western Pyrenees and opens new possibilities for investigating the populations that inhabited this region during the final stages of Neanderthal history,” explains Dr Andion Arteaga, co-director of the project.

A 46,000-year-old Neanderthal hand

The fossil assemblage recovered at Abauntz consists of three metacarpal bones and a middle phalanx from the right hand of an adult individual, together with two additional bone fragments that have been identified as human through protein analysis techniques. Genetic studies have confirmed that the remains belong to a male Neanderthal.

Some of the human remains show carnivore bite marks, providing evidence of the processes that affected the bones after the individual’s death and the circumstances surrounding their accumulation inside the cave.

The fossils were recovered from an archaeological context that also contains stone tools and animal remains, some of which bear marks associated with their processing and consumption by the human groups that occupied the cave. Together, these materials help contextualise the Neanderthal presence at Abauntz and provide further insights into the activities carried out within the cave.

Exceptionally well-preserved DNA

The recovery of ancient DNA is one of the most significant outcomes of the discovery. Genetic material progressively degrades over time, and its preservation depends on the environmental conditions in which the fossils have remained. Recovering genetic information from human remains dating back tens of thousands of years therefore represents a particularly valuable scientific opportunity.

The combination of palaeoproteomic analyses, genetic studies and radiocarbon dating has made it possible to identify the remains, determine the individual’s sex and establish a precise chronology. These findings provide an essential foundation for investigating the biological characteristics of the Neanderthals who inhabited the western Pyrenees and their possible relationships with other European populations.

The importance of this type of research has already been demonstrated at sites such as El Sidrón, in Asturias (Spain), where genetic investigations have provided valuable insights into kinship relationships, social organisation and the evolutionary history of Neanderthals.

“The fact that we have been able to recover ancient DNA and obtain direct dates from the fossils is particularly significant. This combination provides an exceptional basis for studying the biological characteristics of this individual and exploring the relationships between the Neanderthal populations that occupied this part of Europe,” highlights Dr Mikel Arlegi, co-director of the research.

Genetic analyses are still ongoing and may provide further information about the evolutionary history and demographic dynamics of these populations.

The western Pyrenees: a key region for understanding the last Neanderthals

Approximately 46,000 years ago, Neanderthals still inhabited different parts of Europe, during a particularly significant period in their evolutionary history. Just a few millennia later, around 40,000 years ago, the species would disappear from the continent, in a context also marked by the expansion of Homo sapiens.

The location of Abauntz Cave, along a natural corridor connecting the Iberian Peninsula with the rest of continental Europe, makes the site particularly valuable for investigating mobility and potential connections between human groups living on either side of the Pyrenees.

The new findings add direct biological evidence to the study of these populations and contribute to a broader understanding of the diversity and population dynamics of Europe’s last Neanderthals.

Radiocarbon dating, palaeoproteomic analyses and ancient DNA studies are being carried out in collaboration with the University of Vienna (Austria) and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig (Germany).

The research has been made possible thanks to the support and collaboration of the Government of Navarre, through its Directorate-General for Culture–Príncipe de Viana Institution; the Ultzama Valley Town Council; the Arraitz-Orkin Local Council; and the Palarq Foundation.

Excavations at Abauntz Cave and the different lines of scientific investigation are ongoing. Future research will provide further insights into the ways of life of the Neanderthals who occupied the cave and contribute to a better understanding of the role played by populations in the western Pyrenees during the final stages of Neanderthal history.