The Magdalenian human burial of El Mirón Cave (Ramales de la Victoria, Cantabria, Spain): introduction, background, discovery and context

Abstract

During the course of long-term excavations of El Mirón Cave in Cantabrian Spain, remains of an adult human woman were found in deposits dating to the Lower Magdalenian (18.9–18.7 cal. kya). Interred with abundant red ochre (including specular hematite crystals) in culturally rich sediments characterized by abundant lithic and osseous artifact assemblages, faunal remains dominated by red deer and ibex, with some marine shells from an Oldest Dryas shore ca. 25 km distant, the “Red Lady of El Mirón” was buried between the rear cave vestibule wall and a large block, both of which (but especially the latter-also stained with red ochre in proximity to the corpse) bear engravings, possibly symbolically related to the burial. The papers of this special issue of Journal of Archaeological Science present the stratigraphic and archeological contexts, environmental background, dating, taphonomy, spatial distribution, human osteology, dietary information of the skeleton, and the rock art, ochre, artifacts and faunas associated with this burial, the first major human interment of Magdalenian age to be discovered on the Iberian Peninsula.