A recent archaeological effort by researchers from a Spanish university consortium analyzed wicker artifacts recovered from a cave on the Iberian Peninsula. The study established a timeline for these basketry items, dating them to a span from roughly 9,500 to 6,200 years before the present. This places them among the oldest known woven containers discovered in Southern Europe, underscoring a long continuity of practical weaving traditions in the region. The findings appear in a report published in a prominent scientific journal, reflecting careful chronometric work and material analysis conducted by specialists in the field.
The excavation site is a cave complex located in the Granada region, where a diverse assortment of wooden, reed, and grass materials was recovered. In total, researchers examined 76 objects that reveal a variety of basket forms and weaving techniques. These items provide a direct glimpse into daily life during a period when communities were transitioning from nomadic hunter gatherers to more settled, agricultural lifeways.
This discovery represents the first direct evidence of organized basketry among Mesolithic groups in Southern Europe, according to the presenting researchers. The work adds a new layer to the understanding of how early communities managed storage, transport, and domestic tasks long before the spread of farming across the peninsula.
In their publication, the authors highlight the high quality and sophistication of the textiles, which invites a more nuanced view of social and technical capabilities in prehistoric societies. The study notes that such textile works reflect knowledge of materials, tools, and techniques that would have supported complex daily routines, trade, and exchange within and between early communities.
Alongside the wicker baskets, the excavation yielded other artifacts linked to daily life in prehistoric Iberia, including footwear made from plant fibers and a wooden club. These discoveries collectively inform researchers about material culture, subsistence strategies, and the broader landscape of interaction among groups in the region during the Mesolithic period.
The work adds a meaningful chapter to the story of early material culture in Southern Europe and demonstrates how careful fieldwork, precise dating, and detailed typological analysis can illuminate the capabilities of ancient societies long before widespread agricultural economies emerged. The site continues to offer potential for further discoveries that may expand understanding of how early communities organized their material world and connected across regions.”