Prehistoric cave filled with a strange green mineral discovered, leaving archaeologists baffled

A team of archaeologists has uncovered a prehistoric cave in the eastern Pyrenees packed with traces of a mysterious green mineral that could reshape what experts know about ancient high-mountain communities.

The discovery was made at the site known as Cova 338, located more than 7,200 feet above sea level in the Freser Valley. Researchers found numerous ancient hearths containing crushed and burned fragments of a green mineral that early theories suggest may be malachite, a copper-rich stone historically associated with early metalworking processes.

The theory has surprised archaeologists because it points to mining and copper-processing activity that may have been far older and more organized than previously believed in these rugged mountain environments.

A cave used for more than 2,000 years

Excavations revealed that the cave was repeatedly occupied over thousands of years. Archaeologists identified four distinct layers of human activity, some dating back more than 6,000 years.

However, the most striking discoveries appeared in two intermediate layers, where researchers uncovered 23 prehistoric hearths filled with remains of the unusual green mineral.

“Many of these fragments are thermally altered, while other materials in the cave are not,” explained researcher Julia Montes-Landa of the University of Granada. “Which clearly suggests that fire played an important role in their processing and that there was a deliberate intention behind it.”

Experts believe people repeatedly returned to the cave to carry out the same activities, possibly connected to the treatment of copper-rich minerals.

Children’s remains and symbolic objects

The investigation also uncovered human remains belonging to children, including a finger bone and a baby tooth from at least one child estimated to have been around 11 years old.

Although it remains unclear whether the cave served as a burial site, the discovery has opened new theories about possible ritual or symbolic functions associated with the location.

Researchers also found several prehistoric pendants alongside the human remains, including one made from a shell and another crafted from a brown bear tooth, an extremely rare artifact.

“The bear tooth pendant is much less common. That might point to something more specific or symbolic, possibly linked to the local environment,” said Professor Carlos Tornero, the lead researcher on the study.

The mystery of the malachite

Although laboratory analyses are still ongoing, researchers suspect the green mineral is malachite, a material historically linked to copper extraction. If confirmed, the cave could become one of the oldest known examples of mineral processing in the high mountain regions of the Pyrenees.

The discovery also challenges the long-standing belief that prehistoric communities only stayed in these elevated areas for short periods of time.

“Cova 338 forces us to rethink the role of high mountain environments in Pyrenean prehistoric societies,” Tornero explained. “The density of remains suggests repeated occupations that were short to medium in duration, but happening again and again over long periods of time.”

Archaeologists plan to continue excavations this summer because researchers have not yet reached the deepest layers of the cave, where additional findings could help solve the mystery surrounding the strange green mineral.

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