Overview

• A peer-reviewed Ecology paper details layer-by-layer analyses of 12 long-abandoned bearded vulture nests in southern Spain.
• Radiocarbon dating places human-made items between roughly 150 and 675 years old, including a complete esparto-grass sandal, decorated sheep leather, a crossbow bolt and slingshot parts.
• Researchers cataloged 2,483 remains overall, counting 226 human-made objects alongside 2,117 bones, 86 hooves, 72 leather fragments, 11 hair remains and 43 eggshell pieces.
• Teams located more than 50 well-preserved nests and excavated 12 between 2008 and 2014 using archaeological stratigraphy after consulting historic records and local residents.
• The authors describe the cliff-cave deposits as natural museums preserved by dry microclimates and say the materials could support studies of past diets, contaminants and planning for habitat restoration or species reintroduction.