In Spain, in the city of Valencia de la Concepción, archaeologists have unearthed a megalithic tomb that is at least 3,000 years old BC. Excavated between 2007 and 2010, the Megalithic structure extends nearly 44 meters. They are built from large slabs of slate. At least the remains of 25 people were found there. It is assumed that these are women and one man and they drank a poisonous substance before death. The remains of women are located in the first tomb in a circle.
The most notable artifacts from this burial are an indefinite number of garments of tens of thousands of perforated beads and amber beads and a large treasure of crystal arrowheads. The fact that they were discovered at all indicates that they might have been a ritual sacrifice on the altar. The crystal arrowheads are somewhat different from the flint arrowheads from the region, but archaeologists note that more skill may have been needed to make them from rock crystal.
Photo: Miguel Angel Blanco de la Rubia.
In a second tomb made of slate slabs, designated 10.042-10.049, archaeologists have found the remains of a young man, presumably between 17 and 25 years old at the time of his death. The body lay in a fetal position surrounded by a large collection of valuable items. These included twenty-three flint blades and several ivory artifacts. The experts noted that “the rhinestone dagger appeared at the top level of structure 10.049 from the PP4-Montelirio sector, in connection with the bone hilt and scabbard, making it an exceptional object at the end of prehistoric Europe … the blade is 214 mm long, no more than 59 mm wide and 13 mm thick. Its shape is not uncommon in the Iberian Peninsula, although all the specimens recorded so far have been made of flint rather than rock crystal.”
Crystal dagger from structure 10.049 (sector PP4-Montelirio). Photo: Miguel Angel Blanco de la Rubia.
After examining these finds carefully, archaeologists noted that the weapons were almost the same shape as the flint arrowheads that were common in the region at this time. However, the fact that there are no mines where crystal was mined in the area suggests that the crystal was brought from far away.