A cross‑disciplinary team from the University of Valencia, the University of Alicante, the Institut des Sciences de l Evolution in Montpellier, France, and the Archaeology Museum of Bilbao has identified a Neanderthal habitat in the town of Alicante, within the Los Aljezares Natural Area. The site preserves evidence of human activity dated to around 120,000 years ago, offering a rare outdoor glimpse into Middle Paleolithic life beyond caves. For a long time, European Paleolithic records, especially in the Iberian Peninsula, have relied heavily on cave sites. That focus left gaps in understanding how Neanderthals exploited landscapes, organized camps, and moved across open terrain.
During the middle Paleolithic, Neanderthal groups likely formed open-air camps as part of their broad settlement strategies. Aleix Eixea, a professor at the University of Valencia, explains that Los Aljezares stands as one of the few Iberian Peninsula examples where Neanderthal presence is documented in a non-cave context. The site boasts lithic, faunal, and archaeobotanical materials, and its dating is well constrained over time, making it a key reference point for regional subsistence and activity patterns.
Eixea adds that the Los Aljezares findings illuminate a transitional zone for Neanderthals, linking coastal and interior Iberian landscapes within a larger network used to stock biotic and abiotic resources. The arrangement and processing of stone tools such as scrapers and spearpoints, alongside evidence of how hunted animals like deer and horses were captured and consumed, provide a window into the daily routines of these populations.
The geological assessment of the Los Aljezares deposits reveals a landscape and climate distinct from today. Jaime Cuevas, from the Department of Earth Sciences and Environment at the University of Alicante, led the study that reconstructed this past environment as warmer and more humid than the present. In that era, the Vinalopó basin area featured broad, lagoon‑slinked plains rather than a network of rugged mountain passes we see now. This type of setting would have supported Neanderthal occupation by offering accessible land, stable water sources, and nearby biotic resources.
Analyses of tool use traces indicate the presence of wooden implements alongside stone technologies. Although the wooden elements are not preserved, their inferred use highlights the diversity of material culture in open‑air settings during the Middle Paleolithic. The Los Aljezares site thus underscores the significance of open‑air settlements for understanding Neanderthal ecology, adaptation, and social dynamics on the Iberian Peninsula.
Ongoing fieldwork, supported by cooperative efforts with the Five Eyes Association and coordinated with the Heritage Observatory and the Aspe City Council, aims to broaden the current picture of this landscape. The project continues to document and interpret the site, expanding knowledge about how Neanderthals navigated, exploited, and linked different ecological zones across this region.