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Archaeologists in Spain recently shared discoveries exposing the astounding contents discovered within the lairs of bearded vultures – encompassing indications from the Middle Ages.
The findings, detailed in the journal Ecology on September 11, were focused on the aeries of bearded vultures situated in the mountain areas of Andalusia, in southern Spain.
This species vanished from southern Spain more than 70 years prior. In a news statement issued Sept. 18, the University of Granada (UGR) indicated that the vultures’ nests “represent authentic natural museums, safeguarding remnants that are centuries old.”
During his work in the field, investigator Sergio Couto and his collaborators uncovered a complete sandal crafted from esparto – a grass originating in the Mediterranean – inside the nests. The antiquated shoe can be traced to the late 1200s.
The researcher also came across a fraction of tanned, painted hide that “resemble[d] a mask,” according to the university, along with a piece of basketry from the 18th century and a crossbow bolt.
Archaeologists in Spain detected scarce items inside the nests of bearded vultures, which comprised a 13th-century shoe and age-old remnants of leather. (Sergio Couto; Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The vulture dwellings also housed ropes, horse accessories and thousands of fragments of bone and eggshells.
The bones were from ungulates – a vital aspect of the vultures’ sustenance.
The finds took place between 2008 and 2014; they were not made available to the general public until now.
From the 2,483 objects retrieved, an overwhelming 2,117 consisted of osseous fragments.
Researchers chronicled handmade objects inside the lairs of bearded vultures, including a portion of an esparto sling, a fragment of basketry, a piece of painted sheepskin and a crossbow projectile potentially employed as nesting material. (Sergio Couto)
Over 9% of the remains “had human roots … encompassing 25 items of esparto fiber, 72 leather fragments, 11 crafted from hair and 129 textile portions,” UGR reported in a statement.
The statement continued, “These items bear resemblance to those unearthed within neighboring caverns exhibiting Neolithic inhabitation, showcasing the utilization of vegetal fibers in the Iberian Mediterranean since the Epipaleolithic [era], approximately 12,000 years prior.”
Archaeologists described the vulture nests as “authentic natural museums,” unveiling centuries of Iberian cultural and environmental history. (Sergio Couto)
“Moreover, the remnants of eggshells present a distinct prospect for relative toxicological analyses — crucial for grasping pesticide contact and the localized record of extinction of the bearded vulture. This knowledge is essential to the species’ rehabilitation within Europe.”
UGR credited the consistent temperature and moisture levels within the caverns for conserving the items “in optimal shape.”
“Stratigraphic investigations of these nests enhance our understanding of the regional ecosystem while also uncovering details concerning local ethnographic, historical and biocultural frameworks,” the university appended.
The myriad bone fragments retrieved from the bearded vultures’ aeries were largely of hooved creatures, mirroring the diet of these scavengers and furnishing researchers with exceptional insight. (Sergio Couto)
The study arises months following the declaration by archaeologists in Norway that they had discovered myriad leather items in Oslo – inclusive of footwear.
Archaeologist Marja-Liisa P. Grue related to Fox News Digital that the footwear had been “situated in soggy and oxygen-lacking clusters for hundreds of years.”
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