Archeologists at the Aranzadi Science Society have found a stone pendant that is calculated to be around 25,000 years old. The finding, made at the Irakaitz Cave near Zestoa, is in very good condition, and dates to the Upper Paleolithic, specifically the Gravettian.
Corroborating the practical spirit it seems the Basques have had for the past 25,000 years, it is believed that the pendant wasn’t exclusively decorative. The researchers are convinced that it was also a tool used to sharpen flint blades, and was worn around the neck so it was always at hand.
FoxNews – 10/8/2011 -USA
Archaeologists uncover 25,000-year-old pendant in Spain
A pendant some 25,000 years old has been found in the Irikaitz dig in northern Spain’s Basque region by archaeologists from the Sociedad Aranzadi. The piece, an oblong gray smooth stone some 10 centimeters (4 inches) in length, is perforated at one end and apparently was hung from a thong or cord around a person’s neck, according to the director of the excavation, Alvaro Arrizabalaga, who added that the other end of the stone was used as a tool to retouch the edges of tools made from flint, like arrows or scrapers.
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SCI News – 28/12/2011 – USA
Basque Archaeologists Found 25,000-Year-Old Pendant
This stone pendant was found at the Irikaitz dig site, according to a press release from the University of the Basque Country. The Irikaitz archaeological site is located in town of Zestoa in the Basque Country, Spain, 14 m away from a bank of the Urola River.
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Last Updated on Apr 19, 2021 by About Basque Country
