A human rib bearing an embedded flint arrowhead has been uncovered in the highlands of the Catalan Pyrenees, offering rare insight into interpersonal violence during the Early Bronze Age.
Researchers say the injury occurred approximately 4,000 years ago and was not fatal. The bone shows signs of healing, indicating the individual survived with the arrowhead lodged in their body for the remainder of their life.
The discovery was made at Roc de les Orenetes, a prehistoric burial site located 6,023 feet (1,836 meters) above sea level in northeastern Spain. Excavations at the remote cave have been ongoing since 2019 and are led by prehistoric archaeologist Carlos Tornero from the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
The research is conducted in collaboration with the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES), which announced the finding on July 8.
High-altitude burial site yields signs of survival
The team explained that the injured person was likely shot from behind. The projectile struck a rib and became permanently lodged, but the individual lived long enough for the bone to heal around it. The person’s age and sex remain unknown, and further analysis is underway.
The burial site has yielded more than a thousand human bones since the excavations began. Radiocarbon dating places the remains between 4,100 and 4,500 years old.
🗣️ Roc de les Orenetes (Queralbs, Pirineu català) | Fa 4.500 anys: un individu ferit amb una fletxa a l’esquena que va sobreviure un temps 🏹 🔝
💀 Evidència directa de violència prehistòrica a 1.800 metres d’alçada
👉 Més info: https://t.co/sC6VjGgbVW pic.twitter.com/uRjSIbmxzq
— IPHES-CERCA (@iphes) July 8, 2025
In a 2024 study published in the American Journal of Biological Anthropology, researchers led by bioarchaeologist Miguel Ángel Moreno of the University of Edinburgh and Tornero detailed the physical trauma present in the human remains.
Evidence of repeated violence among Bronze Age groups
The study identified the skeletons of at least 51 individuals, including men, women, and children. Among them, at least six showed signs of violent conflict. Injuries were concentrated on the upper body, with many wounds found on the ribs and arms.
The team concluded that a variety of weapons made from different materials had been used. One skeleton showed evidence of a forearm amputation, likely the result of a violent encounter.
“This evidence represents recurrent violent behavior and evidence of interpersonal violence located at the highest altitude of the Pyrenees,” the researchers noted in the study. Even in isolated communities, conflicts erupted that left lasting marks—and sometimes caused death.
The human rib bearing the arrowhead will now undergo high-resolution imaging using X-ray microtomography. Further chemical and DNA analyses are scheduled, and they hope to gain deeper insights into the individual’s life and the broader population interred in the cave.
The work sheds light on the complexity of early human societies and the harsh realities they faced, even at the summit of the Pyrenees.
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