Villanueva 2

Site with a Chalcolithic level and Pleistocene levels, located in the foothills of the Sierra del Brezo, province of Palencia.

 

 

It is a narrow cavity accessed through a small opening and is part of the same karst complex as the Cueva de Guantes. At the most superficial level, more than 300 human remains have been recovered belonging to a dozen individuals of both sexes and various ages, including children, adolescents and adults. Although no trousseau remains have been found, radiocarbon dating indicates that they correspond to the Chalcolithic period. This accumulation of remains is interpreted as a collective secondary burial, a documented custom for this period in other sites of the Iberian Peninsula. The existence of Pleistocene age levels has also been documented, as indicated by the presence of fossils of bears (Ursus deningeri) and porcupines (Hystrix sp.).