The wreckage of the shipwreck: the "archaeological rescue" of the Neolithic enclave that devastated the 'coal king' begins

The excavation of the Cueva de Chaves, located in the Sierra de Guara near Huesca, has begun after nearly two decades following its destruction by a private landowner. The site, once one of the most significant Neolithic settlements in the Iberian Peninsula, was obliterated in 2007 by Vitorino Alonso, known as the “king of coal,” who used heavy machinery to remove over 2,200 cubic meters of sediment. This act destroyed crucial archaeological evidence that could have shed light on life during the Neolithic period, approximately 15,000 years ago. Now, a group of volunteers and archaeologists are working to recover what little remains of this lost heritage. Alonso, a businessman from León, had built a hunting estate with the materials taken from the cave, using them to construct facilities such as feed troughs and water sources for game animals like deer, wild goats, and mouflons. His actions were condemned by local experts, including the late archaeologist Vicente Baldellou, who described the loss as greater than the destruction of Pompey’s ruins. Despite the outcry, Alonso avoided prison due to lack of prior convictions, though he later faced charges unrelated to the incident. He declared himself insolvent in response to a 25.5 million euro compensation claim, which will eventually result in the area being transferred to public ownership by the regional government of Aragón. Rafael Domingo, an archaeologist and professor at the University of Zaragoza, leads the current efforts to document and preserve the remnants of the cave. His team is focusing on collecting artifacts still visible on the surface, using GPS technology to accurately map each find. These items include fragments of pottery, pieces of flint, rounded stones, and possible animal remains. While much of the historical context has been erased, Domingo emphasizes that these objects hold cultural value and will be studied and catalogued before being stored in the Huesca Museum. Julieta Calvo, representing the Asociación Valle de la Gloria, explains that the method employed allows for creating a detailed inventory of the remaining finds. Marta Tejada from the Asociación para la Defensa de la Función Pública adds that the initiative aims to determine whether surface-level observations can yield meaningful discoveries that might justify further excavation. However, Domingo notes that the lack of context diminishes the scientific value of the recovered items. “They have lost all their relationships with one another and with the areas where the cave was occupied,” he says. The Cueva de Chaves was among the two most important Neolithic sites in the peninsula. Before its destruction, around 110 square meters, about 10% of the potential occupied area, had been excavated. The remaining 90%, which could have yielded invaluable insights into the lives of ancient communities, was entirely removed. “That part will never be accessible again,” Domingo explains. The loss severely impacts our understanding of the people who lived there during the Neolithic era. “We know they inhabited the cave, but we don’t fully understand how or why.”