New digs begin at La Draga

16/06/2017

The work will focus on Sector A, close to where the digs initially began and in continuation of the digs conducted in 2013 and 2016, during which a large part of the surface was excavated. Archaeologists will be documenting and extracting the wooden pillars from the cabins and other constructions belonging to the Neolithic settlement. The researchers estimate that approximately 150 pillars will be recovered. They will at the same time study and analyse these elements, of vital importance to understanding the social organisation of La Draga. All pillars will be sampled to identify the type of wood used, how it was cut, its age and also other aspects such as its genetic determination through DNA analysis.

This year's campaign will include the participation of some fifty persons collaborating in several different tasks related to the dig. Although most participants come from different parts of Catalonia, as do most of the students of the UAB bachelor's degree in Archaeology, other participants stem from other universities of Spain and Europe.

Open Days

During the dig campaign there will be six open days (20, 22, 27, 29 June and 4 and 6 July, from 4 to 5:30 p.m.) in which visitors will be able to learn first-hand about the work done by archaeologists.

The activities begun in previous campaigns will be offered once again. Entitled "Neolithic Nights" (1 and 15 July at 8:30 p.m.), these activities help visitors discover the field's latest and most important research advances.

Finally, every Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 a.m. the La Draga Neolithic Park will offer guided tours of the site and on the first Sunday of each month there will be demonstrations of Neolithic activities.

Important Changes

This year, La Draga will be undergoing a series of relevant changes, such as finishing the dig in Sector A, the ending of the quadrennial project funded by the Department of Culture and the declaration of La Draga as a cultural site of national interest by the Government of Catalonia. In autumn, a monographic exhibition on the site will be inaugurated at the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia.

According to researchers, this situation, backed by the large scientific impact and international projection achieved in recent years and the growing number of visitors to the site, has paved the way for a promising future for the research project and further dissemination of the site.

The Singularity of the Site

The Neolithic site of La Draga is located on the eastern banks of the Banyoles Lake. The site was discovered in 1990 and since then digs have been conducted under the coordination of the Archaeological Museum of Banyoles.

Given the importance of the site, in 2008 a research project was designed to continue works and includes the participation of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia and the Spanish National Research Council (IMF, Barcelona). The joint efforts of these institutions, different in nature and in objectives, has enabled archaeologists to take on a more complete approach towards the singularity of the site by conducting research tasks, training new researchers, conserving the remains discovered and disseminating all their findings.

The importance of this prehistoric settlement lies in the fact that it was one of the first locations chosen by a Neolithic farming community to build a settlement in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula some 7,300 years ago. The surrounding areas were then transformed to include agricultural and livestock activities needed to maintain the community.

The most outstanding feature at the site is the conservation of elements built with wood and other organic materials, an exceptional feat for such an early society and which contributes to a more complete comprehension of these first farming and animal rearing communities.