Cave del Valle (Cantabria) facts for kids
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Cueva del Valle
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cave entrance
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 Location in Cantabria
Location in Spain
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| Alternative name | La Viejarrona |
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| Location | near El Cerro Village |
| Region | municipality of Rasines, Cantabria, Spain |
| Coordinates | 43°17′55″N 3°25′10″W / 43.29861°N 3.41944°W |
| Length | 60 km (37.28 mi) |
| History | |
| Periods | Upper Magdalenian |
| Associated with | Paleo-humans |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1905, 1996 to 1998 |
The Cave del Valle (which means The Valley's Cave in Spanish) is also known as La Viejarrona (or Old Girl). You can find this amazing cave near El Cerro Village in Rasines, a town in Cantabria, northern Spain. This cave is super important for two main reasons: it's a source of the Silencio River, and it's one of the longest caves ever explored in the world! Many cavers (people who explore caves) love to visit it, and they've explored over 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) inside so far.
Ancient Life in the Cave
Even though the Cave del Valle is in the famous Franco-Cantabrian region (an area known for ancient cave art), no rock paintings have been found here. However, in 1905, a priest named Lorenzo Sierra made an exciting discovery. He found the very first objects and tools that showed people lived in this cave as far back as 9,000 years ago!
Tools from the Past
Among the discoveries were special harpoons and scrapers from the Azilian culture. There were also spear points and other bone tools from the Upper Magdalenian period. These were ancient groups of people who lived during the Stone Age. Stone tools like chisels and different kinds of scrapers were also found.
The most recent digs happened between 1996 and 1998. During these excavations, a cool decorated stick with a hole was found. Sadly, this special stick is now lost. But don't worry! The National Archaeological Museum has a copy of it. Also, the Regional Museum of Prehistory and Archaeology of Cantabria has another pierced stick, though it's not as fancy as the lost one.
Exploring the Cave
The Cave del Valle is known as one of the longest explored caves on Earth. So far, more than 60 kilometers (over 40 miles) of its passages have been explored! This makes it a very popular spot not just for professional speleologists (people who study and explore caves), but also for people who enjoy caving as a sport or hobby. It's a truly massive underground world waiting to be explored!
See also
In Spanish: Cueva del Valle para niños Caves in Cantabria
