A necklace and pendants made 15,500 years ago have been discovered in the Praile I cave, it is the most important Upper Paleolithic find in the Basque Country in recent years, says Mikel Lizarralde-Donistia (San Sebastian)
     A Magdalenian treasure of the Upper Paleolithic has lain hidden for the last 15,500 years in the Praile I cave in Deba (Gipuzkoa). Excavations done over the last few years by a team led by the archaeologist Xabier Peņalver of the Aranzadi Society of Sciences have uncovered spectacular jewellery. Four stunning necklaces of smooth black stone, another one of goats' teeth and a 12-cm pendant made by Cro-Magnon man have been discovered in the cave. There are 29 items in all, each one made by hand and engraved.
     The find in the Praile I cave is not only the most important in the Basque Country in recent years, but also one of the most significant ones in the European continent as far as the Upper Paleolithic period, or Magdalenian Period is concerned. The Praile I cave was discovered in 1983 by Mikel Sasieta and Juan Arruabarrena, members of the Munibe group of Azkoitia (Gipuzkoa), and is one of the Paleolithic's most significant archeological clusters.
     The Magdalenian Period began about 2 million years ago, approximately coextensive with the Pleistocene Period.

Source: Berria (4 October 2005)