A walk through the Paleolithic
In the rugged hills near Alcoy, a series of ancient footprints shows Neanderthal life and locomotion. Preserved in travertine limestone, these tracks belong to a small group of Homo neanderthalensis who walked here approximately 60,000 years ago. The site, known as Abric del Pastor, is a small rock shelter situated 820 meters above sea level in the Sierra de Mariola mountains. The footprints were captured in mineral-rich mud that slowly hardened into stone, creating a high-fidelity record of Middle Paleolithic activity.
The preservation results of the area's geology. Travertine is a type of limestone deposited by mineral springs, often around waterfalls or in caves. As layers of calcium carbonate built up, they entombed the impressions left by Neanderthal feet, protecting them from erosion for millennia. Analysis of the rock layers places the tracks within a period dated between 63,000 and 48,000 years before present. Alongside the tracks, archaeologists have uncovered other evidence of short-term occupation. These include the remains of hearths fueled by juniper wood, discarded flint tools, and the butchered bones of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica).