TEBA, SPAIN—A team of archaeologists from the University of Cádiz (UCA) unearthed an extraordinary 5,000-year-old dolmen at the La Lentejuela necropolis near Teba, Málaga, according to a report by SUR in English. Measuring more than 40 feet long, the massive tomb is constructed of large upright stone blocks and is one of the most monumental and well-preserved megalithic funerary structures ever uncovered in Andalusia. Within the chamber’s interior, archaeologists identified several ossuaries containing human remains and a rich assemblage of grave goods, which are providing new insight into the lives and funerary practices of the community that inhabited the region several millennia ago. Among the items were several objects fashioned from raw materials not native to the area, such as ivory, amber, and seashells, which attest to long-distance contacts. “The presence of seashells in an inland territory reflects the importance of the sea as an element of prestige and the existence of very extensive exchange networks," says UCA archaeologist Juan Jesús Cantillo. These prestigious and exotic objects were found alongside finally crafted, locally-sourced flint artifacts, including arrowheads, large blades, and a remarkable halberd—a type of ax blade topped with a spike that would have been set on a long, wooden shaft. To read about crustaceans uncovered in 14,000-year-old campfire residues in Málaga, go to "Whale-Barnacle Barbecue."
