All articles tagged with #iberian peninsula
Recent archaeological findings suggest that Neanderthals in Iberia engaged in complex funerary behaviors, including intentional deposition of bodies in caves, which broadens our understanding of their social and cultural practices beyond formal burial rituals, with no clear link to climate or ecological factors.
Wildfires in Spain and Portugal have reached record levels in 2025 due to a severe heatwave, burning over 700,000 hectares combined, displacing thousands, and causing widespread smoke pollution across Europe, with record carbon emissions and impacts on infrastructure and air quality.
Archaeologists in Spain discovered a rare sperm whale tooth from the 3rd millennium BCE at Valencina, shedding light on prehistoric Iberian rituals and their connection to marine life, highlighting its cultural significance and possible role in ancient ceremonies.
Archaeologists have uncovered a 65,000-year-old hearth in Gibraltar, believed to be a Neanderthal "glue factory" used to produce tar for hafting tools and weapons. This discovery highlights the Neanderthals' advanced engineering skills, as they precisely controlled fire to distill resin from rockrose plants. The process involved creating a sealed environment to prevent oxygen from burning the resin, showcasing their ability to manage complex tasks and work collaboratively.
Researchers have discovered that two corroded artifacts from the Treasure of Villena, a Bronze Age cache in Spain, are made from meteoritic iron, suggesting advanced metalworking techniques in Iberia over 3,000 years ago. The iron bracelet and hollow hemisphere, initially puzzling due to their ferrous appearance, were tested and found to contain high nickel content, indicative of meteoritic origin. This aligns them with the rest of the collection, dating back to 1400-1200 BCE, and marks them as the first known meteoritic iron artifacts in the Iberian Peninsula.
Scientists believe that orcas ramming boats around the Iberian Peninsula is a playful behavior rather than aggression. The trend, started by curious juvenile orcas, has spread through the population as a form of entertainment due to increased tuna populations reducing their hunting time. Despite the damage, no injuries have been reported.
Scientists believe that the recent spate of orca attacks on boats off the Iberian Peninsula is not due to aggression but rather playful behavior by juvenile whales. The orcas, mostly young males, are likely engaging with boat rudders as a form of entertainment, similar to human fads. Researchers are exploring methods to deter this behavior without harming the whales, such as altering rudder surfaces and using sound devices.
An international group of scientists has concluded that the recent trend of orcas ramming and sinking boats off the coasts of Spain, Portugal, France, and Morocco is likely due to young, bored orcas engaging in playful behavior. The orcas, particularly juveniles, have been interacting with boat rudders as a form of entertainment, a behavior that has increased as their primary prey, bluefin tuna, has become more abundant. The scientists recommend boaters avoid areas with high orca activity and use deterrents to prevent interactions.
The Villena Treasure, a remarkable Bronze Age collection found in Spain, contains artifacts made with iron from a meteorite that crashed into Earth about a million years ago. Recent research has revealed that two of the iron objects in the treasure were crafted from extraterrestrial material, shedding light on Late Bronze Age metallurgical practices and demonstrating how ancient cultures innovated with new technologies. These artifacts not only serve as historical treasures but also provide insight into the development of new technologies and societal evolution, making them the first and oldest meteoritic iron artifacts discovered on the Iberian Peninsula.
Orcas off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula have been ramming and sinking boats, causing concern among sailors. Marine biologists are studying this phenomenon, theorizing that the behavior may be a learned fad among curious young orcas. Some researchers believe the ramming is a playful interaction, while others suggest it could be an adverse behavior resulting from a bad experience. Conservationists and yacht clubs are working together to protect the endangered orcas and provide safety protocols for sailors encountering them, including staying quiet and charting routes closer to shore.
The oldest dinosaur footprints on the Iberian Peninsula, dating back 195 million years, have been discovered in Alvaiázere, Portugal. The footprints, found in carbonate rocks, have been attributed to ornithischian dinosaurs and crocodilomorphs, and have led to the identification of a new dinosaur species called 'Moyenisauropus lusitanicus'. This discovery expands knowledge about dinosaur diversity in the Lower Jurassic and contributes to the paleogeographical and paleobiological reconstruction of the region. The study involved a multidisciplinary team of Portuguese researchers and included the participation of secondary school students.
A new study describes the discovery of Garumbatitan morellensis, a new species of sauropod dinosaur that lived in the Iberian Peninsula approximately 122 million years ago. The remains of this giant dinosaur were found in the Morella region of Spain and have expanded the diversity of dinosaurs known in the area. The fossils, including vertebrae and a femur, were found in a deposit that contains one of the largest concentrations of sauropod dinosaur remains from the European Lower Cretaceous. The discovery sheds light on the evolutionary history of sauropods in Europe and suggests periods of faunal dispersal between continents.
Researchers at the universities of Seville and Vienna have discovered evidence of a powerful female leader in ancient Iberia, challenging previous assumptions about the political role of women in early complex societies. The woman, known as the "Ivory Lady," was buried alone with a luxurious funeral trousseau, including a large ceramic dish, a copper awl, and multiple flint and ivory objects. The discovery suggests that social status during the Copper Age was achieved through personal merit rather than inherited. The findings shed new light on gender dynamics and social hierarchization in the Iberian Peninsula during this period.
Orcas living in the waters around the Iberian Peninsula have developed a new behaviour of chasing sailboats and breaking their rudders, which has baffled scientists and sailors. The orcas appear to be playing a risky game, pushing the rudders with their noses until they break. The phenomenon has been spreading, with 207 interactions reported in 2022, up from 52 in 2020. Scientists are still trying to understand the motivation behind this behaviour, with two hypotheses being the "fun or fashion hypothesis" and the "trauma hypothesis". There is no sure-fire way of preventing or shortening the interactions, but sailors are advised to avoid the areas where the orcas are and to leave the area quickly if they encounter them.
A pod of orcas bumped into a boat during an endurance sailing race near the Strait of Gibraltar, causing the crew to drop its sails and raise a clatter to scare them off. No one was injured, but the incident highlights a growing trend of sometimes-aggressive interactions with Iberian orcas. Scientists have noted increasing reports of orcas bumping or damaging boats off the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula in the past four years, with no clear explanation for the behavior.