Ancient tools in a cave in northeastern Spain are providing new clues about some of the last Neanderthals to live in Aragón around 40,000 years ago.
Archaeologists excavating the P5 cave in Aguilón, Zaragoza province, recovered new stone tools during the 2026 campaign. The work also helped researchers better define the areas near the cave entrance where Neanderthals carried out their activities.
Among the finds are tools made from high-quality flint in the Mousterian tradition, a stone-tool culture closely associated with Neanderthals. Researchers traced the flint to natural deposits near Botorrita, offering clues about how these groups obtained raw materials and moved across the landscape.
Cave preserves evidence of Aragón’s last Neanderthals
Aguilón P5 preserves evidence of repeated human activity during the Middle Paleolithic. Earlier excavations have produced about 10,000 remains, with evidence indicating Neanderthals used the cave more than 42,000 years ago.
That timeline makes the site particularly important for studying the final Neanderthal populations of Europe.
Aguilón P5 offers an exceptional opportunity to understand the last Neanderthal communities that inhabited Aragón, Marta Alcolea, the project’s scientific co-director and a professor at the University of Zaragoza, explained. She said each investigation provides a clearer picture of when the groups lived, how they organized themselves and the environments they occupied.
Research over the past year has also focused on determining more precisely when different areas of the cave were used.
New studies refine timeline of cave occupation
New dating and geoarchaeological studies, supported by the Palarq Foundation, are helping researchers distinguish between different phases of human occupation.
Some remains date to around 40,000 years ago, a period of particular interest for understanding the final Neanderthal populations and the broader transition associated with the arrival of Homo sapiens in Europe.
Archaeologists in Spain have uncovered new 40,000-year-old stone tools linked to some of Aragón’s last Neanderthals.
The finds are revealing how they moved across the landscape, sourced materials and adapted to their environment. pic.twitter.com/lt9qEH8x1L
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) September 1, 2026
Carlos Mazo, a professor of prehistory and the project’s scientific co-director, said that studying the occupation areas and the newly recovered tools gives us a clearer picture of how Neanderthals organized their activities and used resources across the surrounding area.
Research continues after the excavation season ends. Scientists from several fields study material recovered during both the latest campaign and previous digs to reconstruct the conditions Neanderthals experienced.
Animal remains reveal clues about ancient environment
One area of research examines micromammals, or small mammals whose remains have survived inside the cave. Because different species thrive in different environments, their bones can provide evidence about past climate and vegetation. They can also help researchers reconstruct the landscape surrounding Aguilón P5 during Neanderthal occupation.
Mazo and Alcolea lead the project through the University of Zaragoza. The Government of Aragón authorized the archaeological work, while the Aguilón City Council funded the excavation. The Palarq Foundation supports research to refine the site’s chronology.
By combining stone tools, dating evidence and environmental remains, researchers are building a more detailed picture of how some of Aragón’s last Neanderthals lived, traveled and used the landscape thousands of years ago.
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