Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:

• Researchers at a dig site in Spain discovered tools from some of the first farmers, possibly dating back 7,000 years.
• The artifacts uncovered during the excavation are from the Neolithic period, one of the most pivotal revolutions in human history.
• Animal remains found during the dig allude to Neolithic husbandry practices.

New evidence uncovered at a dig site in Huesca, Spain, gives us a snapshot into what daily agricultural practices may have looked like more than 7,000 years ago.

The Huerto Raso dig site was originally found in 1969 by Ignacio Barandiarán, and the area underwent its first excavation in 1972, which confirmed its occupation during the Neolithic period. Now, more than 50 years later, researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the University of Zaragoza picked up where Barandiarán left off with an extensive dig campaign that lasted all of July 2024.

According to a press release from UAB, this is the first major excavation on the site, as all past efforts were only partial surveys of the area.

During the campaign, researchers documented the seasonal presence and possible later occupation of Neolithic groups—nomadic societies transitioning to a stationary, agricultural way of life between 5500 and 3000 BCE. The scientists recovered bone remains from consumed animals at the site, and said that hunted animal remains (rather than domesticated) stood out numerically among the bones.

Excavation team members also unearthed artifacts including flint tools, ceramics and mills, and even structures that could have been used for shelter. The UAB release said researchers plan to analyze the artifacts using carbon-14 dating, residue analysis, and other methods to further understand the agricultural practices and subsistence strategies of inhabitants.

“The discoveries made are important not only for the academic field,” the press release stated, “but also enrich the cultural heritage of the region.”

Huerto Raso is located in the Vero River Cultural Park and is surrounded by historically rich areas, including over 50 sites with post-Paleolithic rock art.

“The site of Huerto Raso is a window to the past that allows us to better understand the development of human societies during the ancient Neolithic in the pre-Pyrenean area,” Alejandro Sierra, a researcher at UAB, said in the press release.

The pre-Pyrenean area, or pre-Pyrenees, refers to the foothills of the Pyrenees mountain range, which spans Catalonia, Aragon, and Navarra in Spain. Other research in the area has produced similar findings to Huerto Raso. A study published in the journal Open Archaeology analyzed findings from the Cova Colomera dig site in Serra del Montsec, Spain.

Like the excavation in Huerto Raso, the work in Cova Colomera also unearthed remains from animals. Researchers used the bones that were likely from livestock to conclude that “the natural resources of the pre-Pyrenees were exploited by the earliest shepherds in the Early Neolithic.”

Humans began moving from small, nomadic bands to early farming civilizations during the Neolithic period. According to National Geographic, historians have several theories as to why the Neolithic Revolution, also known as the Agricultural Revolution, began: population pressure, reliance on certain plants, and even creating a more cohesive, productive society are all possibilities.

The Neolithic fundamentally changed how humans interacted with land, animals and each other, and organizational practices developed during the time can be traced to the present day, making the period responsible for one of humanity’s most important revolutions.

Emma Frederickson graduated from Pace University where she studied communication and media. Prior to her time as an editor, she was a freelance science reporter. She enjoys covering everything from shipwrecks to pimple popping, but her favorite topics include climate change, conspiracy theories, and weird biology. When she’s not writing, Emma can be found hopping between coffee shops on the hunt for the world’s best oat milk cappuccino.