Overview

• Excavations of 12 long‑used nests in southern Spain uncovered 226 human‑made items alongside extensive animal remains.
• Radiocarbon dating placed objects between roughly 150 and 675 years old, including a woven sandal, decorated sheep leather, a slingshot and a crossbow bolt.
• The deposits also contained 2,117 bones, 86 hooves, 72 leather pieces, 11 hair remains and 43 eggshell fragments preserved by dry, sheltered microclimates.
• Researchers located and stratigraphically sampled the sites between 2008 and 2014, then reported the findings in Ecology as evidence of nests acting as “natural museums.”
• The team says these layered archives can support studies of historical diet, pollutant exposure and habitat change, aiding restoration and reintroduction planning for a regionally endangered species.