Stalagmites in Spanish Cave Display Evidence of Extensive Human Modification

[Inglesport]

Just came across this read about Cova Dones in Valencia: prehistoric cave inhabitants smashing and reassembling over a hundred stalagmites into rings and piles https://archaeology.org/news/2025/0...lay-evidence-of-extensive-human-modification/

Some bits even have new calcite growing on them, so they’re really old.

Anyone been to Cova Dones or seen something similar?

 

[Cantclimbtom]

prehistoric cave inhabitants smashing and reassembling over a hundred stalagmites into rings and piles

Bloomin' vandals. Probably painted on the walls and left empty animal horn mead cups lying around.

 

[meanderthal]

Interesting, we came across similar rings / circles made out of stal in Belize. Dont think they were as old mind

 

[Lankyman]

Bloomin' vandals. Probably painted on the walls and left empty animal horn mead cups lying around.

It's an interesting conundrum - at what point does scrawling on the wall become heritage? I've been lucky to see Native American petroglyphs on the walls of canyons in Utah, perfectly preserved by remoteness. Elsewhere it has been defaced by much more recent graffiti and had to be protected with perspex panels. At a place in Wyoming I saw 19th century graffiti made by settlers moving westwards along old wagon trails. That had become a heritage site too. I once asked a park ranger what was the divide. To my surprise he had an answer. I can't remember now what it was but it was a year I think, before which it was heritage and after which it was scrawl and would be removed. I should have pressed him and asked if this year was always moving forward in time. I've seen old graffiti carved on the entrances to a few Dales caves (Dead Man's Cave near Feizor comes to mind). Usually far better carved than modern scribbles.

 

[alanw]

at what point does scrawling on the wall become heritage?

Would this in Slit Pot be heritage? It's almost certainly post 1933, when the BPC started to be formed, and probably a lot more recent.

 

[Lankyman]

Would this in Slit Pot be heritage? It's almost certainly post 1933, when the BPC started to be formed, and probably a lot more recent.
View attachment 22707

If it sheds light on the tensions between early human tribal groupings then it is heritage. If it's just avin' a laff then probably not.

 

[Mrs Trellis]

Would this in Slit Pot be heritage? It's almost certainly post 1933, when the BPC started to be formed, and probably a lot more recent.
View attachment 22707

To the tune of "Balls to Mr Banglestein" .................

 

[mrodoc]

At one end of the Metro in the Dent de Crolles system is a grave marked by a cross made from smashed stal.

 

[alanw]

To the tune of "Balls to Mr Banglestein" .................

Cwm Rhondda

 

[Lankyman]

At one end of the Metro in the Dent de Crolles system is a grave marked by a cross made from smashed stal.

Do you know any history attached to this?

 

[langcliffe]

Do you know any history attached to this?

This is the grave of Bernard Moulin, who died aged 18 years, on the 12th August 1962 when ascending the Puits Moulin during its original exploration, as a result of a rockfall cutting the ladder. By agreement with the authorities and his family, he was buried in the Metro. His body was entombed in a small tunnel with no exit, and the entrance was blocked by large boulders.

A stainless steel plaque, made by Fernand Petzl, at the entrance to the Guiers Mort also commemorates him.

Much of the older history of the Dent de Crolles system is documented in 'La Dent de Crolles et son Reseau Souterrain', by Baudouin Lismonde, available for downloading from here.

 

[Lankyman]

Thanks, Langcliffe. My knowledge of French caving history is fairly basic. Was Bernard buried there because of the difficulty of retrieval (similar to the Mossdale victims)?

 

[langcliffe]

Thanks, Langcliffe. My knowledge of French caving history is fairly basic. Was Bernard buried there because of the difficulty of retrieval (similar to the Mossdale victims)?

That's right. The only access to the Guiers Mort upper series at the time was a convoluted route from the master cave, with upward pitches, narrow meanders, confined crawls, and downward pitches. Trips were taking at least 12 hours at the time, and sometimes 20 hours. Nowadays, the Metro can be accessed from the Guiers Mort or from the Trou du Glaz in a couple of hours. They spent a couple of days looking for a feasible route from the many leads that led off from the new passages, but without success.