At the ‘Valley of the Neanderthals’ site in Valle del Lozoya, Madrid, it has been discovered a 40,000-year-old cave. This finding, unique in the world, would change what we know about human evolution, because it shows that Neanderthals already had symbolic thinking, that is, that they could attribute ideas to objects, like when we see a crucifix. Until now it was believed that this development had occurred later.

“Making these discoveries involves many hours of cold, heat and work,” says Enrique Baquedano, director of the Archaeological and Paleontological Museum of Madrid, who explains What was life like 100,000 years ago? In this valley, a privileged area a few kilometers from Segovia and Madrid, where the mountains allowed them to control the passage of cattle and invaders, there was water or wood all year round and bison and rhinos grazed freely.

In the 70s the first site was discovered, then more came and for two decades, every summer a group of paleontologists works on the ground of this place that can visitbut only with prior reservation.