Aristos Georgiou, Newsweek via MSN, 12/6/23; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Sanditthika.org via Beth Upton (bethupton.com)
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| In modern Spain today, there is a new cave meditation community (sanditthika.org) |
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| The caves of Spain will be even more famous by a new Buddhist community in them. |
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| Site where evidence of Paleolithic dwelling was found within La Garma cave complex in Cantabria, northern Spain. The dwelling was constructed around 16,800 years ago, according to archeologists (© Proyecto La Garma/Gobierno de Cantabria). |
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| The Buddhist cave community of Spain |
The dwelling was found in the La Garma cave complex in the autonomous community of Cantabria, northern Spain, the local government announced in a statement.
The new discovery is "one of the best preserved Paleolithic dwellings" in the world, according to the Government of Cantabria. The Paleolithic, also referred to as the Old Stone Age, is a period in human prehistory that extends from the earliest use of stone tools more than 3 million years ago to around 12,000 years ago.
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| Beth Upton (bethupton.com) is an accomplished former British Buddhist nun now in Spain |
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| Buddhist Spanish cave community: Sanditthika |
The complex forms part of a world-renowned network of caves in northern Spain that are listed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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| Inside a Spanish cave along the coast |
This listing includes the famous Cave of Altamira in Cantabria that features striking prehistoric cave art dating as far back as around 35,000 years ago.
To date, five levels of caves have been discovered at La Garma, which preserves evidence of human activity spanning over 300,000 years, right up until the Middle Ages.
The original entrance to the cave's Lower Gallery was blocked by a landslide around 16,000 years ago, preserving the ancient remains inside intact, turning it into a kind of prehistoric "time capsule," according to the local government.
The latest discovery at La Garma is the prehistoric dwelling from 16,800 years ago, which occupies an oval space of almost 54 square feet. The dwelling is delimited by an alignment of stone blocks and stalagmites that supported a structure of sticks and skins leaning against a ledge of the cave wall.
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| Beth Upton comes from a forest tradition in the Burmese jungle of Pa Auk Monastery |
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| Spanish caves have served many good purposes |
In the center of the dwelling, the researchers found evidence of a small bonfire, around which lie several remains left behind by the hunter-gatherers who lived there. These include antler and bone instruments, as well as evidence of fur working and stone tool production.
In total, the archeologists documented more than 4,600 objects during their investigations, primarily the bones of deer, horses, and bison, but also pieces of flint, needles, and a proto-harpoon, as well as shells of marine mollusks.
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| Aurochs — an extinct giant cattle species — painted on cave walls show purposeful art. |
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| I'll make it so that everyone can meditate here. |
They also found decorated bones, among them, a spectacular pierced bone of an aurochs — an extinct giant cattle species — with an engraved representation of that animal, as well as several pendants that the residents of the dwelling may have worn. More + VIDEO
- Mysterious prehistoric monument discovered by archeologists: 'Very rare'
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- Bones stored in box for decades turn out to be Neanderthal remains
- British Buddhist Beth Upton's Spanish Sanditthika Cave Meditation Community
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| Meditation caves in Spain? Living in simplicity, growing in wisdom (sanditthika.org) |
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