| Cave of Los Aviones | |
|---|---|
| Cueva de Los Aviones | |
 The Cave of Los Aviones is located at sea level nearCartagena, Spain in the Mediterranean. | |
  Location of the Cave of Los Aviones in Spain | |
| Location | On the southeastern shore of Spain |
| Coordinates | 37°35′7.30″N0°59′8.66″W / 37.5853611°N 0.9857389°W /37.5853611; -0.9857389 |
| Elevation | sea level |
| Geology | cemented marineconglomerate |
TheCave of Los Aviones, located at sea level nearCartagena in southeastern Spain, is apaleontology site dating back to theMiddle Paleolithic era. It is famous for having yielded in 2010 several perforated and painted seashell beads thought to have been crafted as jewelry byNeanderthals.[1][2]
The cave is a cemented marineconglomerate. The site has yieldedochred and perforated marine shells, red and yellow colorants, and shell containers that feature residues of complexpigment mixtures.[2] The pigments on the sea shells were dated to 115,000 years old, making these "the oldest personal ornamentation known anywhere in the world," predatingHomo sapiens.[1][2][3] Art is an archaeological proxy for symbolic behavior.[2]
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