Cova de l'Or

Cova de l'Or is a cave in the municipality of Beniarrés, in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community. The cave mouth opens on the southern slope of the Serra del Benicadell, overlooking the Alcoi river valley. It ranks among the key reference sites for understanding the earliest Neolithic in the Iberian Peninsula: radiocarbon dating of carbonized cereal remains found here points to roughly 5600 BCE, making it one of the oldest known traces of farming and livestock-keeping in the region.

Why does Cova de l'Or matter so much to archaeologists?

The cave was first documented and test-excavated by R. Pardo in 1933. Systematic excavation only began in 1955, carried out by Valencia's Prehistoric Research Service under the direction of J. San Valero and V. Pascual. Work continued through 1956–1958 and resumed for a longer campaign between 1975 and 1985 under V. Pascual and B. Martí. Decades of fieldwork produced one of the richest assemblages of any Early Neolithic site on Spain's Mediterranean coast, cementing the cave's role as a benchmark for research into the region's first farming communities.

What was found inside the cave?

The best-known finds are ceramics decorated by pressing the edge of a cardium shell into the wet clay — the hallmark technique of the so-called Cardial Ware culture, one of the earliest farming cultures of the western Mediterranean. Alongside the pottery, excavators recovered flint tools (blades used as knives and sickle elements), polished stone axes for working wood, and spoons carved from bone. Remains of cultivated cereals (wheat, barley) and legumes (beans, lentils, peas), together with the bones of domestic animals — mostly sheep, with smaller numbers of goats, pigs, cattle and dogs — show that the cave's occupants were already settled farmers and herders rather than pure hunter-gatherers.

What do the decorated ceramics mean?

Some of the pottery from Cova de l'Or carries anthropomorphic motifs that researchers link to the rock art found at the nearby sites of Pla de Petracos and La Sarga. The resemblance suggests the ceramic decoration may have carried a religious or symbolic meaning beyond simple ornament. This connection between painted rock art and decorated pottery is one of the reasons the site continues to draw attention from specialists studying Mediterranean Neolithic societies.

How can you visit Cova de l'Or?

The cave is not an open, walk-in tourist attraction. Visits need to be arranged in advance through the Beniarrés town hall, which makes it a destination better suited to travelers genuinely interested in prehistory than to casual sightseers. Pairing a visit with the nearby prehistoric rock art sites around Alcoi is a natural way to build a fuller picture of how the region's first farming communities lived and expressed themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is Cova de l'Or located? On the southern slope of the Serra del Benicadell, within the municipality of Beniarrés in the province of Alicante, overlooking the Alcoi river valley.

How old is the site? The oldest layers have been radiocarbon-dated to around 5600 BCE, making it one of the earliest evidence of agriculture on the Iberian Peninsula.

What kinds of artifacts were discovered there? Mainly Cardial Ware pottery, flint tools, polished stone axes, bone spoons, and traces of cultivated cereals and domesticated animals.

Can visitors explore the cave on their own? No — visits must be booked in advance through the Beniarrés town hall, since the site does not operate as a self-guided tourist attraction.