Prehistory of the Valencian Community facts for kids

The prehistory in the Valencian Community is about the time from when the first people lived there, around 350,000 years ago, until new groups like the Greeks and Phoenicians arrived, about 500 BCE. This long period covers the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Metal Ages (Copper, Bronze, Iron).

Around 350,000 BCE, the very first signs of people in the area, now called the Valencian Community, were found in a cave called Cueva de Bolomor. Later, about 50,000 BCE, Neanderthals lived here. They were nomads, meaning they moved around a lot. The Cova Negra is a famous place from their time.

Around 30,000 BCE, Neanderthals disappeared. Modern humans, like us, took their place. This change brought new tools, better ways of living, and art! In Valencia, people mostly made small, portable art pieces, unlike the big cave paintings found elsewhere. The Cueva de Parpalló has amazing examples of this art.

The Valencian region was one of the first places to see the "agricultural revolution" around 5,500 BCE. This was during the Neolithic period. People started farming and making pots (like the Cardium pottery). They also built bigger settlements, such as the Cova de l'Or and the Mas d'ls. You can still see lots of Rock art from this time, especially in places like Valltorta and Pla de Petracos, which is a World Heritage Site.

When the Copper Age began, more settlements appeared. We know this because many burial caves were used. Later, in the Bronze Age (around 2000 BCE), different cultures started to form. The people living here, called the Bronze Valencian culture, had some metal, even if it was limited. A famous find is the Treasure of Villena, one of Europe's largest gold collections. Settlements from this time were often on high, hard-to-reach places and had strong defensive walls. Important sites include Redondo Cabezo and Muntanya Asolada.

In the late Bronze Age, many settlements became empty. But some were used again during the Iron Age. This was when the Iberian and pre-Roman cultures developed in the area.

Paleolithic Period: Early Humans in Valencia

The Paleolithic period is the oldest part of the Stone Age. It's when the first humans lived in the Valencian Community.

Lower Paleolithic: First Traces of Humans

The very first signs of human life in what is now the Valencian Community come from the Cueva de Bolomor. Tools and animal bones found there date back to about 350,000 BCE. We haven't found human bones from this time yet. But the tools and animal remains suggest that Homo heidelbergensis lived and worked there.

Evidence of humans controlling fire was also found in Bolomor, dating to about 250,000 BCE. This was a huge step for early humans!

Middle Paleolithic: The Time of Neanderthals

Neanderthals lived in the Valencian Community during the Middle Paleolithic, between 60,000 and 30,000 BCE. They were nomadic, living in caves and hunting animals like wild boar, red deer, mountain goats, and horses. They even had simple funeral rituals.

Neanderthals used Mousterian stone tools, which didn't change much for a very long time. They also used wood to make things like lances.

Many important sites from this period are in the south of modern-day Valencia. The Cova Negra is the most famous. Other sites include El Salt and the Cova de Beneito. In 2009, archaeologists found Neanderthal tools and charcoal at Solana de las Pillas, which is special because it's not in a cave.

Around 40,000 BCE, Cro-Magnon people (early modern humans) started to spread across Europe. For about 10,000 years, Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons lived at the same time. But around 30,000 BCE, Neanderthals died out. The last places they lived were in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula, including Valencia.

Upper Paleolithic: Modern Humans Arrive

The arrival of the Cro-Magnon people marked the start of the Upper Paleolithic. This period saw big changes in technology and how people lived. Hunting became more specialized, and people moved around less. They also used resources better, and art really started to develop. The weather was very cold during this time, with two major ice ages.

Cro-Magnons used new ways to make tools, often from flint. They made needles, spears, and awls. They also made decorations from animal teeth and shells.

They hunted different animals depending on where they lived. In the plains, they hunted deer. In the mountains, they hunted mountain goats. They also hunted smaller animals like rabbits, which became a very important food source for them.

Sites from the Upper Paleolithic in Valencia are mostly found in the south, near the border with Alicante. Famous caves include Parpalló and Meravelles in Gandía, and the Cova de les Rates Penades in Rótova.

Art of the Upper Paleolithic: Expressing Creativity

Engraved deer antler with a hole.

Paleolithic art developed a lot during this time. While some regions are famous for huge cave paintings, in the Valencian Community, the most common art was "portable art." These were small art objects that people could carry with them.

The Parpalló cave is a great example of this. Many decorated stone plates have been found there, showing images of darts, awls, and harpoons. Art became a way for groups to show their shared identity and for individuals to express themselves.

Mesolithic Period: A Changing World

During the Mesolithic (or Epipaleolithic) period, the climate became much warmer. The ice ages ended, and the planet entered its current geological age, the Holocene. Forests grew, and the polar ice caps melted, causing sea levels to rise to what they are today.

This better climate meant more food was available. People could find more animals to hunt (like mountain goats, wild boar, and rabbits). They also gathered more plants (fruits, berries, and roots) and ate more seafood (fish, snails, and clams).

During this time, people often stayed in settlements for shorter periods, moving with the seasons. More settlements appeared near coasts, rivers, swamps, and lagoons, as people relied more on food from the water.

Tools continued to evolve. The Mesolithic in Valencia can be divided into two periods based on how tools were made. Early on, people used a "microlaminar" method, often using bones for weapons. But around 6500 BCE, this changed. Tools started to feature geometric shapes like trapezoids and triangles.

Mesolithic settlements spread out much more in the Valencian Community. They even appeared in Castellón province, where few older artifacts had been found. Important sites include the Cueva de la Cocina, Cova Fosca, and Cova de Santa Maira. The Cueva de la Cocina is famous for its many flint tools, especially arrows, and stone plates with geometric designs. The Cova Fosca is known for its small cave drawings showing hunting and fighting scenes.

Neolithic Period: The Dawn of Farming

The Neolithic period arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 5550 BCE. This was a time of huge change! New ways of producing food and new materials like ceramic and polished stone tools were developed.

The biggest change was that societies moved from hunting and gathering to farming. People started to grow crops and raise animals. This meant they could stay in one place instead of constantly moving.

Neolithic people built large ceramic containers and silos to store extra grain. Archaeologists have found evidence that wheat, barley, and legumes were important foods. They also started to domesticate animals like cattle, sheep, goats, and pork for food. The region between Valencia and Alicante has some of the richest archaeological finds from this period in the western Mediterranean.

See also

In Spanish: Prehistoria en la Comunidad Valenciana para niños