First Neanderthal remains found in Navarre fill gap in western Pyrenees

Six bone fragments from Abauntz cave date to 46,000 years ago and belong to a male Neanderthal, providing direct evidence of the species in the region.

By LineZotpaper

Published20 October 2026

Read Time3 min

An international team has identified the first Neanderthal remains in the Spanish region of Navarre, six bone fragments from Abauntz cave that belonged to a male who lived about 46,000 years ago. The discovery, announced on 19 October, fills a gap in the archaeological record of the western Pyrenees.

The six fragments recovered from Abauntz cave in the Ultzama valley include three metacarpal bones and a middle phalanx from the right hand of an adult individual, together with two other fragments identified as human through protein analysis. Genetic studies confirm the remains come from a male Neanderthal. Some bones show carnivore bite marks, offering clues about what happened to the body after death and how the bones entered the cave.

The fossils were found in an archaeological context with stone tools and animal remains, some bearing signs of having been processed and eaten by the human groups that occupied the cavity. This context helps to situate Neanderthal presence at Abauntz and to understand the activities carried out there.

Until now, no fossils directly confirmed that Neanderthals passed through this area. "For the first time we have human remains that allow us to directly identify the presence of Neanderthals in Navarre," said Andion Arteaga, co-director of the project, in a press release. The date is significant: 46,000 years ago Neanderthals were still living in parts of Europe, but they disappeared from the continent around 40,000 years ago, a period also marked by the expansion of Homo sapiens.

Abauntz cave lies in a natural corridor connecting the Iberian Peninsula with the rest of Europe, making it a good site to study mobility and possible contacts between human groups on both sides of the Pyrenees. The team combined palaeoproteomics, genetic analyses and radiocarbon dating to identify the bones, determine the individual's sex and establish their chronology, working with the University of Vienna and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. The clearest precedent is El Sidrón in Asturias, where genetics has shed light on kinship, social organisation and the evolutionary history of Neanderthals.

"Being able to recover ancient DNA and obtain direct dates for the fossils is particularly significant," stressed Mikel Arlegi, also co-director of the project. Genetic analyses are ongoing and could provide more information about the evolutionary history and demographic dynamics of these populations.

The research originated at the Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (Iphes-Cerca) and involves more than 25 specialists from institutions including the National Centre for Research on Human Evolution and the Institute of Archaeology of Mérida. The project is supported by the Government of Navarre, the Council of the Ultzama Valley, the Arraitz-Orkin local council and the Palarq Foundation.

Analysis

Why This Matter

This is the first direct evidence of Neanderthals in Navarre, filling a spatial gap in the western Pyrenees.
The cave's location in a natural corridor between Iberia and the rest of Europe could illuminate Neanderthal mobility and contacts.
Ongoing genetic analysis may reveal evolutionary and demographic details about these late Neanderthal populations.

Background

Neanderthals inhabited Europe and parts of western Asia for hundreds of thousands of years before disappearing around 40,000 years ago, a period that also saw the spread of Homo sapiens. Direct fossil evidence has been patchy in some regions; Abauntz cave has been known for archaeological material but lacked human remains until now. The combination of ancient DNA recovery, protein analysis and radiocarbon dating on old fossils is technically challenging but increasingly productive, as seen at the El Sidrón site in Asturias.

Key Perspectives

Researchers (Iphes-Cerca, University of Warsaw, Musée de l'Homme): The discovery provides direct confirmation of Neanderthal presence in Navarre and a rare opportunity to study late Neanderthal genetics and behaviour in a key geographic corridor. Local government (Government of Navarre): The find strengthens cultural heritage and scientific interest in the region, supporting ongoing excavation and research. Critics/Skeptics: The sample is limited to six fragments from a single individual, and interpretations about mobility and contact rely on the cave's position rather than direct evidence of interaction with other groups.

What to Watch

Results from ongoing genetic analyses for insights into kinship, population structure and evolutionary history.
Further excavation campaigns at Abauntz cave, which are still under way.
Comparisons with other late Neanderthal sites in Iberia, such as El Sidrón, to assess regional connections.

Sources

Neanderthal remains dating back 46,000 years identified in Abauntz cave, Navarra · Euronews

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12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.

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SupportedThe Abauntz remains are the first Neanderthal remains identified in Navarre and fill a gap in the western Pyrenees record.Euronews: “An international team has identified the first Neanderthal remains in Navarre.”
SupportedSix bone fragments from Abauntz belong to a male Neanderthal who lived around 46,000 years ago.Euronews: “They are six bone fragments recovered during previous campaigns in the Abauntz cave which, according to the analyses, belonged to a man who lived around 46,000 years ago.”
SupportedThe remains provide direct evidence of Neanderthals in Navarre.Euronews: “For the first time we have human remains that allow us to directly identify the presence of Neanderthals in Navarre,”
SupportedThe discovery was presented on 19 October.Euronews: “The discovery was presented on Monday (19 October) at an event led by the president of the Government of Navarre, María Chivite.”
SupportedThe six fragments include three metacarpals, a middle phalanx from an adult’s right hand, and two other fragments identified as human through protein analysis.Euronews: “The assemblage includes three metacarpal bones and a middle phalanx from the right hand of an adult individual. These are joined by two other fragments that have been identified as human through protein analysis.”
SupportedGenetic studies confirm the remains are from a male Neanderthal.Euronews: “Genetic studies confirm that the remains come from a male Neanderthal.”
SupportedSome bones have carnivore bite marks that may offer clues about the body and how the bones entered the cave.Euronews: “Some of the bones preserve carnivore bite marks; those traces offer clues about what happened to the body after the individual’s death and how the bones ended up inside the cave.”
SupportedThe fossils were found with stone tools and animal remains, some showing signs of processing and consumption by human groups that occupied the cave.Euronews: “The fossils were found in an archaeological context with stone tools and animal remains, some showing signs of having been processed and eaten by the human groups that occupied the cavity.”
SupportedAndion Arteaga said, “For the first time we have human remains that allow us to directly identify the presence of Neanderthals in Navarre.”Euronews: “"For the first time we have human remains that allow us to directly identify the presence of Neanderthals in Navarre," explains Andion Arteaga, who co-directs the project, in a press release issued by the team.”
SupportedMikel Arlegi said, “Being able to recover ancient DNA and obtain direct dates for the fossils is particularly significant.”Euronews: “"Being able to recover ancient DNA and obtain direct dates for the fossils is particularly significant," stresses Mikel Arlegi, also co-director of the project.”
SupportedNeanderthals disappeared from the continent around 40,000 years ago, during a period also marked by the expansion of Homo sapiens.Euronews: “A few millennia later, around 40,000 years ago, the species disappeared from the continent, in a period also marked by the expansion of Homo sapiens.”
SupportedThe project team brings together more than 25 specialists.Euronews: “The team brings together more than 25 specialists from different disciplines and institutions”