19 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Newly Discovered 200,000-Year-Old Rock Carvings in Marbella: Potentially Among Europe’s Oldest Cave Art

Marbella has just made an incredible discovery that could change everything we thought we knew about prehistoric Europe. Archaeologists working in the Las Chapas area have found a stone at the Coto Correa site, which is protected and has been recognized for its historical significance since the 1950s. This stone features carvings that might be over 200,000 years old! If this is confirmed, it would make these markings some of the oldest human-made art in Europe, predating Spain’s earliest known cave art by a staggering 100,000 years.

The Marbella cave, known as the Coto Correa site, is located in the Las Chapas area of Marbella, in the province of Málaga, Spain. This site has been recognized for its archaeological significance and is situated near the Mediterranean coast, making it an important location for understanding prehistoric human activity in the region.

The excitement kicked off during a recent archaeological survey at Coto Correa, where previous digs had already uncovered ancient stone tools used by Marbella’s earliest inhabitants. But this latest find takes things to a whole new level. The star of the show is a piece of gabbro, a dark, coarse rock, adorned with a series of engraved lines.

Experts believe these markings could represent one of the earliest forms of symbolic expression, possibly the oldest graphic representations ever found on the Iberian Peninsula.

If ongoing studies confirm the age of these engravings, they could completely reshape our understanding of when and how early humans began to express themselves artistically. While Spain is home to other significant prehistoric art sites, like the famous painted caves in Cantabria, the age of these Marbella carvings sets them apart and raises intriguing questions about the cognitive and creative abilities of early humans, including Neanderthals or their ancestors.

Detail of the engravings. Credit: Ayuntamiento de Marbella (Marbella Town Council)
Detail of the engravings. Credit: Ayuntamiento de Marbella (Marbella Town Council)

To determine the exact age of the carvings, researchers are employing advanced geoarchaeological techniques. They’re analyzing quartz in the surrounding sediments to create a clear timeline, while cutting-edge 3D digital mapping helps distinguish between natural wear, tool marks, and intentional engravings.

This digital documentation will not only assist scholars in verifying the origins of the markings but will also serve as a valuable resource for museums, allowing experts, students, and curious visitors to explore this remarkable find for years to come.

Local authorities have set aside €8,000 to support this vital research—a modest investment that could redefine not just Marbella’s history, but our broader understanding of human evolution and creativity. Once the results are in, the cultural department plans to share this scientific milestone through public events and exhibitions, ensuring that everyone can catch a glimpse of Marbella’s newly uncovered ancient past.

Could Marbella soon be known for more than just its luxury lifestyle? This potential breakthrough in Paleolithic research might just give the town a new kind of prestige—one that stretches back hundreds of thousands of years.

Marbella Town Council

Cover Image Credit: 200,000-year-old rock carvings found in Marbella. Some of the oldest known human-made carvings in Europe. Credit: Ayuntamiento de Marbella (Marbella Town Council)

Related Articles

Arrowhead from the Biblical Battle Discovered in the Hometown of the Giant Goliath’s

30 May 2021

30 May 2021

A bone arrowhead discovered in the ancient Philistine city of Gath might have been used fired off by the city’s...

UK’s Oldest Hospice Discovered: Anglo-Saxon Monastery Unearthed in Cookham Reveals Early Medical Care

11 August 2025

11 August 2025

An extraordinary archaeological discovery in Cookham, Berkshire, is rewriting our understanding of healthcare in early medieval England. Unearthed behind the...

Unique Ancient Bronze Miniature Portrait Of Alexander The Great Found In Ringsted On The Island Of Zealand, Denmark

12 April 2024

12 April 2024

Two amateur archaeologists have made a unique find near Ringsted in the Danish island of Zealand. A sign that one...

An Unusual Artifact Points to Roman Britain Rituals Linked to Fertility, Painted Dog Penis Bone Found in England

9 January 2025

9 January 2025

In a Roman quarry shaft in Surrey, England, archaeologists have discovered one of the most unusual human and animal remains...

10 Ancient Shipwrecks and Finds from Prehistoric to Ottoman Periods Discovered οff Kasos Island in Greece

14 March 2024

14 March 2024

The research team of the National Hellenic Research Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, has identified ten shipwrecks...

New Archaeological Discoveries in Abu Dhabi shed light on Umm an-Nar Bronze Age culture (2700-2000 BCE)

1 February 2024

1 February 2024

New findings demonstrate the resilience and inventiveness of local Bronze Age societies (Umm an-Nar Bronze Age culture), as well as...

Researchers Define the Borders of El Argar, the First State-Society in the Iberian Peninsula

18 March 2025

18 March 2025

Recent research conducted by scholars from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology...

Spanish Stonehenge re-emerges from the ‘Valdecañas reservoir’

19 August 2022

19 August 2022

Submerged by the Valdecañas reservoir for decades, the Guadalperal dolmen has been fully exposed as it was two summers ago....

Bronze Age artifacts discovered near the residence of ‘Iran’s Napoleon’

6 July 2021

6 July 2021

Archaeologists in Iran have discovered a plethora of artifacts and damaged structures near a former residence of Nader Shah, dubbed...

Archaeologists uncover 4,000-year-old earliest large-scale Archaic fish-trapping facility recorded in ancient Mesoamerica

28 November 2024

28 November 2024

Archaeologists, using drones and Google Earth imagery, have discovered a 4,000-year-old network of earthen canals in what is now Belize...

73 intact Wari mummy bundles and Carved Masks Placed On False Heads Discovered In Peru

1 December 2023

1 December 2023

At Pachacámac, an archaeological site southeast of Lima in Peru, archaeologists unearthed bundles of 73 intact mummy bundles, some containing...

Spectacular Roman Mosaics Unearthed in Thalheim bei Wels: A Unique Discovery in Upper Austria

10 June 2025

10 June 2025

Archaeologists from the University of Salzburg uncovered three exceptionally preserved Roman mosaics during excavations A remarkable archaeological discovery has captivated...

Underwater Archaeologists discovered World’s Largest and Oldest ancient shipyard on Dana Island, Türkiye

31 October 2023

31 October 2023

The ruins of the world’s largest and oldest ancient shipyard were found in the north of the island of Dana,...

Tang-e Chogan bas-relief carvings, Majestic treasures of Sassanid art, are under threat of destruction 

9 March 2022

9 March 2022

Treasures of Sassanid art, some of Tang-e Chogan’s bas-reliefs are under threat of complete destruction due to lack of maintenance...

The Jinn of Girnavaz Mound

6 February 2021

6 February 2021

Girnavaz mound is in the north of Nusaybin district of Mardin province and Nusaybin 4 km is away. It is...