Prehistoric Human Tracks in Ojo Guareña Cave System (Burgos, Spain): The Sala and Galerías de las Huellas

Abstract

In 1969, members of Grupo Espeleológico Edelweiss discovered the Sala and Galerías de las Huellas in Ojo Guareña Cave system (Burgos, Spain). These contained hundreds of ancient human footprints, preserved in the soft sediment on the floor. These footprints represent the tracks of a small group of people who walked barefoot through these complex passages in the cave. Owing to the difficult compatibility of the documentation and preservation of these prints, it was not possible to study them before the development of new non-invasive remote sensing techniques. However, since 2012 optical laser scanning and digital photogrammetry have been used in Galerías de las Huellas, in combination with GIS techniques, to obtain a model of the cave floor, where the footprints and their internal morphology can be observed in detail. We have identified over 1000 prehistoric human footprints and at least 18 distinct trackways through the passages, which could have been left by around 8–10 individuals. Since 2016, an archaeological field study has been conducted in this sector, in order to determine and explore its surrounding area and find other archaeological evidence that may be directly associated with these tracks. Numerous remains of torches are preserved on the walls and floor in the immediate surroundings of the footprint sites. Some of them have been dated, which has revealed the intensive use of this underground landscape from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Mesolithic-Neolithic. However, the remains in Sala and Galerías de las Huellas date solely to the Chalcolithic, around 4300 calBP.

Full text

Chapter 17
Prehistoric Human Tracks in Ojo Guareña
Cave System (Burgos, Spain): The Sala
and Galerías de las Huellas
Ana I. Ortega, Francisco Ruiz, Miguel A. Martín, Alfonso Benito-Calvo,
Marco Vidal, Lucía Bermejo, and Theodoros Karampaglidis
Abstract In 1969, members of Grupo Espeleológico Edelweiss discovered the Sala
and Galerías de las Huellas in Ojo Guareña Cave system (Burgos, Spain). These
contained hundreds of ancient human footprints, preserved in the soft sediment on
the floor. These footprints represent the tracks of a small group of people who
walked barefoot through these complex passages in the cave. Owing to the difficult
compatibility of the documentation and preservation of these prints, it was not
possible to study them before the development of new non-invasive remote sensing
techniques. However, since 2012 optical laser scanning and digital photogrammetry
have been used in Galerías de las Huellas, in combination with GIS techniques, to
obtain a model of the cave floor, where the footprints and their internal morphology
can be observed in detail. We have identified over 1000 prehistoric human footprints
and at least 18 distinct trackways through the passages, which could have been left
by around 8–10 individuals. Since 2016, an archaeological field study has been
conducted in this sector, in order to determine and explore its surrounding area and
find other archaeological evidence that may be directly associated with these tracks.
Numerous remains of torches are preserved on the walls and floor in the immediate
surroundings of the footprint sites. Some of them have been dated, which has
A. I. Ortega (*)
Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana –CENIEH, Burgos, Spain
Fundación Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain
Grupo Espeleológico Edelweiss, Burgos, Spain
e-mail: anaisabel.ortega60@gmail.com
F. Ruiz · M. A. Martín
Grupo Espeleológico Edelweiss, Burgos, Spain
A. Benito-Calvo · M. Vidal · T. Karampaglidis
Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana –CENIEH, Burgos, Spain
Grupo Espeleológico Edelweiss, Burgos, Spain
L. Bermejo
Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana –CENIEH, Burgos, Spain
©The Author(s) 2021
A. Pastoors, T. Lenssen-Erz (eds.), Reading Prehistoric Human Tracks,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60406-6_17
317

revealed the intensive use of this underground landscape from the Upper Palaeolithic
to the Mesolithic-Neolithic. However, the remains in Sala and Galerías de las
Huellas date solely to the Chalcolithic, around 4300 calBP.
Keywords Human footprints · 3D laser scanner · Ojo Guareña Cave system ·
Exploration ·
14
C data · Chalcolithic
Introduction
The Ojo Guareña Cave system, forming one of the most important underground
systems in Spain, is located in the Cantabrian Mountains and the Upper Ebro Basin,
in the north of the Province of Burgos (Spain) (Fig. 17.1a). This cave system
developed in the northern flank of the Mesa-Pereda syncline (del Olmo et al.
1978), in the Coniacian (Late Cretaceous) limestone and dolomite unit. Ojo Guareña
is an extensive multilevel cave system, formed by the connection of 14 caves and
over 110 km of passages, distributed on 6 main interlinked levels, from a relative
height of +70 m to the current level of the River Guareña (Grupo Espeleológico
Edelweiss 1986; Ortega et al. 2013:45–53).
The blind valley of San Bernabé ends at the Guareña sinkhole and contains a
series of old fossil entrances perched at different heights above the River Guareña
(at 692 m a.s.l.) that, together with the River Trema (karst discharge zone) and the
Villamartín stream, has shaped this singular karst landscape listed as Natural and
Cultural Heritage of Spain.
This karst complex contains an impressive record of human activities from at
least the Upper Pleistocene. The archaeological sites were discovered at the same
time as speleological explorations were taking place. The diversity and variety of
archaeological remains, in more than 80 sites (Ortega and Martín 1986; Ortega et al.
2013: 164–236), include living areas in cave entrances, rock art, burials, human
bones, grave goods or different archaeological objects, which demonstrate the use of
this cave landscape from the Middle Palaeolithic to the Middle Ages.
The hundreds of human footprints in the soft sediment on the floor of Sala and
Galerías de las Huellas I and II are among the most singular and vulnerable
archaeological sites in the cave system. They were found in 1969 by members of
the Grupo Espeleológico Edelweiss, during the survey of one of the most labyrin-
thine sectors of the system, called Dédalo Oeste (Uribarri 1969; Osaba 1969:
305–309; Rubio 2001), which is related to the geomorphologic evolution of the
Guareña blind valley and San Bernabé cirque.
318 A. I. Ortega et al.

The Site
The Sala and Galerías de las Huellas formed in the third karst level known as Dédalo
Oeste. It covers an area of 5652 m
2
and connects with Laberinto Otilio and Sala
Negra in the fourth level. This third level is perched at 40 m above the Guareña River
level and comes very close to San Tirso and Bernabé Cave, whose passages belong
to the second karst level (Fig. 17.1c). Their western passages descend until they link
topographically with the end of Galería de las Huellas I (GH I), although without a
physical connection because of the collapse of the cave ceiling and the growth of a
Fig. 17.1 (a) Situation of the Ojo Guareña karst in the Iberian Peninsula; (b) location of the Sala
and Galería de las Huellas sites in the Ojo Guareña complex, with reference to the main caves; (c)
map of Sala and Galería de las Huellas with an orthophoto of the PNOA (IGN, Spain); (d)
longitudinal profile, projection N-S, of the Ojo Guareña Cave system in the blind valley of the
Guareña River. (Modified from Grupo Espeleológico Edelweiss 1986; Ortega et al. 2013,2014)
17 Prehistoric Human Tracks in Ojo Guareña Cave System (Burgos, Spain): The Sala... 319

large speleothem (Grupo Espeleológico Edelweiss 1986, Annex mapping 153–3;
Martín 1986: 141–147; Ortega and Martín 1986: 342–343). Additionally, sediment
on the San Bernabé hillsides has completely silted up the old entrances in this sector,
so current access is from Palomera Cave, 1250 m to the west.
Sala de las Huellas is an enormous chamber 80 m long, 50 m wide and more than
5 m high, with large boulders that have collapsed from the ceiling and obstruct transit
(Figs. 17.1 and 17.2f). Galerías de las Huellas I and II (GH I and GH II) are located
on the south side of this chamber (Figs. 17.1b,17.2c, g and 17.9a). The first gallery
(GH I) consists of a main passage, 60-m-long and a 25-m-long side passage
(Figs. 17.2g and 17.3d). The main axis of the second gallery (GH II) is approxi-
mately 100 m long. Both galleries are about 5 m wide and 4–5 m high (Fig. 17.3f, g).
The floor of these galleries is characterized by interior cave sediments, with a
loamy texture and composition mainly of calcite, quartz, feldspar and to a lesser
extent phyllosilicates (Benito-Calvo et al. 2013: 220).
Small channels have incised the floors of both galleries, particularly in the final
section of GH II. The entry sections have calcite crusts, which do not register any
footprints. On the contrary, the deposition of fine calcite crystals makes it difficult to
recognize many of the impressions, especially in the GH I gallery.
The human traces located in these passages are very well preserved in both
galleries, thanks to the protection measures that were taken at the time of the
discovery, limiting access to the sites and waymarking alternative routes
(Fig. 17.3). But unfortunately the difficulty of transit in the large chamber (Sala de
las Huellas) led to the destruction of many traces, and only a few footprints have
been preserved on large boulders (Figs. 17.2f and 17.3a).
The cave survey in this sector was finished in 1970, and Almagro invited André
Leroi-Gourhan to plan a project to study the footprints, including photogrammetric
analysis. Unfortunately, it never materialized. Plaster casts of two footprints were
made at that time, and a sediment sample from the first passage was sent to León
Pales and Michel-Alain García (Ortega et al. 2013: 178–182; 2014:43–44). In
addition, charred wood remains were collected from Laberinto Otilio in the lower
level, at the bottom of a shaft from GH I, and interpreted as thrown or fallen from that
gallery. They were dated to 15,600 230 BP (Delibrias et al. 1974: 53).
New surveying in 1981 (Grupo Espeleológico Edelweiss 1986) achieved an
acoustic connection between GH I and the southwestern passage in San Bernabé
Cave (Fig. 17.1b). This connection motivated the dating of the speleothem plug that
separates the two caves. Rainer Grün, who was visiting Spain to sample caves for his
PhD, dated the speleothem to about 175 ka (pers. comm. Adolfo Eraso). This age
prompted a new study of the footprints and their superpositions, in order to deter-
mine the direction of the prints through photographic and photogrammetric analysis
(Galaz et al. 2000). These studies showed that the prints followed an entry and exit
route within Sala de las Huellas (Galaz et al. 2000; Ortega et al. 2013: 178–182) and
that they were, therefore, not connected with the passage in San Bernabé Cave.
This new study also identified traces of small carnivores (mustelid-type) espe-
cially in the eastern gallery (GH I), in whose initial section bear claw scratches are
also preserved on the walls. Some charred wood remains have also been observed on
320 A. I. Ortega et al.

Fig. 17.2 (a) General overview of the Sala Negra; (b) charcoal samples (No 11 and 12) located in
the connection shaft between Galería de las Huellas I and Laberinto Otilio; (c) charcoals in the block
(No 10) of Laberinto Otilio; (d) block decorated with torch remains and charcoals in the ground
(No 14, Laberinto Otilio); (e) torch remains on a block, with charcoals in the floor (No 4), of the Sala
de las Huellas; (f) general view of Sala de las Huellas; (g) cross section view of the beginning of
Galería de las Huellas II. (Photos (a) P. Carazo-Grupo Espeleológico Edelweiss; (b–f) M.A. Martín
-Grupo Espeleológico Edelweiss)
17 Prehistoric Human Tracks in Ojo Guareía Cave System (Burgos, Spain): The Sala... 321

Fig. 17.3 (a) Human footprints on a large block of the Sala de las Huellas; (b) remains of a torch
under a block of Sala de las Huellas (No 1); (c) detail of a footprint of Galería de las Huellas II; (d)
view of Galería de las Huellas I; (e-g) several views of the traces of the Galería de las Huellas
II. (Photos M.A. Martín-Grupo Espeleológico Edelweiss)
322 A. I. Ortega et al.

the walls and floors of Galerías de las Huellas, although charcoal remains are more
numerous in the lower passages (Laberinto Otilio and Sala Negra). In 1999, a
charcoal sample from the western Galería de Las Huellas (GH II) provided a date
of 3820 50 BP (pers. comm. Juan Luis Arsuaga). This date was very different from
the Palaeolithic date mentioned above and showed that the passages had been
entered again in recent prehistory.
Access to a Complicated Sector
It was traditionally thought that the access to Galerías de las Huellas during
prehistory was from the blind valley of the Guareña River or the San Bernabé cirque,
given its obvious proximity (Ortega and Martín 1986: 342–343). Later, the possi-
bility of access from San Bernabé Cave was discarded, because of the age of the
collapse now blocking the cave, which is sealed by a thick speleothem (Ortega et al.
2013,2014). Finally, direct access from outside to the Sala Negra has also been
discarded, given that the current blockage of boulders, a consequence of the receding
hillside, seems very stable and was already consolidated in the Neolithic, according
to the dates obtained in the framework of this project (Table 17.3) (Ortega and
Martín 2019).
In contrast, recent investigations into the archaeological evidence inside Palomera
Cave, currently the main entrance to the Ojo Guareña Cave system, indicate that
transit inside this large cave was much more frequent and intense than previously
thought. This is evidenced by the succession of archaeological remains that extend
up to almost a kilometre and a half from the current entrance, towards both the east
and the west, belonging to different periods from prehistory to the Middle Ages.
On the route from Palomera Cave to the surroundings of Las Huellas (Fig. 17.4),
several archaeological remains have been documented in the passages of Museo de
Cera, Galería de la Escalada and Galería Macarroni, with confirmed prehistoric
dates. The distance from the start of the latter gallery to the Sala del Cacique is
barely 100 m; it is very comfortable to walk through and currently included in the
tourist route. It is a further 100 m from this point to the first side passage in Galería
del Cacique, which leads to Laberinto Otilio. This is the beginning of the sector
studied here, where abundant charred wood marks on the walls and pieces of
charcoal on the loamy floor and boulders have been identified.
There are several points of access to the Sala and Galerías de las Huellas in this
area. One of them starts at the northeast end of Sala Negra, which finishes in an
impressive boulder blockage (Figs. 17.2a and 17.9b), where the presence of charcoal
confirms the transit, at least in the Early Neolithic (Fig. 17.9b, number 13 and
Table 17.3). Another access point, which is a little more comfortable, is through a
side passage that ascends gently towards Laberinto Otilio until Sala de las Huellas
can be reached by climbing between boulders. As already stated, the entire route is
full of charred wood marks and pieces of charcoal (Figs. 17.2b–gand 17.9).
17 Prehistoric Human Tracks in Ojo Guareña Cave System (Burgos, Spain): The Sala... 323

Fig. 17.4 Map of the possible access route to the human footprint site. The dark green passages represent the third level of Palomera Cave and the dark red, the
passages of fourth level. The greenish shadings indicate the sites with rock art and the footprint site. The red marks refer to other archaeological evidences
(habitats, burials, transit, etc.). The blue dashed line represents the route of access from Palomera Cave. (Modified from Grupo Espeleológico Edelweiss 1986;
Ortega et al. 2013)
324 A. I. Ortega et al.

This evidence suggests that, after a 1200-m-long route of easy transit through
large underground passages, prehistoric humans explored a sector of Palomera Cave
that is more complex because of its large size (5652 m
2
), intricate topography
(mazes) and instability (with large embedded boulders that hinder transit). Despite
this danger, at least one of the human groups that walked through this sector could
have reached the upper level of the Sala and Galerías de las Huellas.
Materials and Methods
Footprint Documentation
Human footprint sites are not very common in the archaeological record because of
the special requirements for their formation and preservation, although the number
of cases has increased over time (Lockley et al. 2008; Bennett and Morse 2014a).
These footprints provide information on human behaviour regarding the environ-
ment and on the nature of the sediments, where fine-grained substrates favour the
formation and preservation of the prints (Bennett and Morse 2014b). The difficulty
in balancing the documentation and conservation of these traces has conditioned
their study for many years, and it only became possible with the development of
non-invasive digital remote sensing technologies applied to archaeological research
and heritage management (Bennett et al. 2013; Ashton et al. 2014; D. Webb et al.
2014; Citton et al. 2017).
The study of the human footprints in Ojo Guareña started in 2012. It focused on
accurate three-dimensional reconstruction of Galería de las Huellas I and II, using
3D laser scanner technology and GIS methodologies (Benito-Calvo et al. 2013;
Ortega et al. 2014). Sala de las Huellas was excluded from this work because of its
topographic irregularity and the difficulty of transit in such a chaotic space.
The three-dimensional mapping of this site was achieved with a ScanStation C10
Leica laser scanner, with a maximum flight range of 300 m, 4 mm accuracy.
Seventeen high-resolution scans were performed (5 mm at 10 m), seven in GH I
and ten in GH II. The point clouds obtained were joined by a common reference
system with reference targets, obtaining a mean error of 1 mm, with final point
clouds that reached resolution means of 3 mm in GH I and 4 mm in GH II.
The models of the obtained surfaces were exported to GIS format, generating
high-resolution digital elevation models (DEM) that show the topographic relief of
the galleries with sufficient resolution to analyse the shape and distribution of the
tracks (Benito-Calvo et al. 2013). The terrain roughness index (TRI) model (Riley
et al. 1999) allows the irregularities of the floor to be differentiated (white colours)
from the softer areas (black colours) by stressing the depressions of the best
preserved footprints according to their internal morphology (sole, heel, toes, etc.).
17 Prehistoric Human Tracks in Ojo Guareña Cave System (Burgos, Spain): The Sala... 325

Footprints and Trackways
This precise cartography allows the position of the tracks to be observed in relation
to the morphology of the passages by identifying not only the human footprints but
also the topographic elements (boulders, rocks, speleothems, crusts, channels, etc.)
that form the surface and condition the presence of human footprints. This enables
the reconstruction of some of the paths and movements made by these ancient
visitors. All the measurements and most of the observations of the footprints have
been made over the resulting three-dimensional and cartographic restitution with
AutoCAD software, as it is not possible to measure them in situ, owing to the
nonconsolidation of the sediment recording the traces.
Once the footprints were scanned, each of the prints was individualized.
The maximum length (FL) was measured parallel to the longitudinal axis of the
footprint, while the width of the ball (FW) and the width of the heel (FHW) were
measured perpendicular to the FL axis. The longitudinal axis was determined
following the technique of D. Webb et al. (2006a).
From the FL and FW measurements, the footprint index (FI) was calculated,
which consists of the ratio between foot width and foot length: FI ¼FW/FL 100.
The arch index (AI) is a widely used measurement for the purpose of classifying
the foot type according to a high (AI 0.21), normal (AI ¼0.21–0.26) and flat
(AI >0.26) arch (Cavanagh and Rodgers 1987). AI was measured according to
Cavanagh and Rodgers (1987), whereby a perpendicular line to the foot axis was
used to divide the toeless area into equal thirds (Fig. 17.5a): rearfoot (A), midfoot
(B) and forefoot (C) regions. Then, AI was calculated as the ratio of the area of the
midfoot to entire toeless footprint area: AI ¼B/(A + B + C).
Finally, arch angle (AA) or Clarke angle is defined as the angle between the
medial border line of the footprint and the line connecting the most medial point of
the metatarsal region of the footprint and the apex of the concavity of the arch of the
footprint (Citton et al. 2017) (Fig. 17.5a). AA is a conventional measurement that
classifies the internal longitudinal arch between tendency to flatness or pronation
(AA 31), normality range (AA ¼31–45) and tendency to cavus foot (AA >45)
(González-Martín et al. 2017).
Estimation of Height and Weight
Many studies support the use of foot length to obtain an individual’s range of height,
while body mass can be estimated by the correlation between foot width and body
weight (D. Webb et al. 2006a; Ukoha et al. 2013; Atamtürk and Duyar 2008;
Krishan 2008; Robbins 1986).
326 A. I. Ortega et al.

Chronology
Another objective of this project has been to specify the chronology of the tracks in
order to contextualize the activities that took place in this sector of the cave, the deep
zone over 1 kilometre from the current entrance of Palomera.
To study transit and use in this sector of the system in greater depth, since 2016
we have been conducting a project with the aim of surveying and dating the
surroundings of the sector, including Sala and Galerías de las Huellas, on the third
level of Ojo Guareña, and Galería del Cacique and its side passages, as well as
Laberinto Otilio and Sala Negra, on the fourth level, i.e. lower than Huellas and the
main level within the Ojo Guareña Cave system.
Sixteen organic samples were taken for radiocarbon dating. AMS dating of
15 samples was performed at BETA Analytic Inc., between 2017 and 2019. The
Gif-1721 sample, dated at the
14
C Gif Radiocarbon Laboratory in 1974, completes
Table 17.3.
Fig. 17.5 (a) Morphological parameters used in the current study, (1) maximum foot length (FL),
width of the ball (FW) and width of the heel (FHW), (2) arch index (AI ¼B/A + B + C), (3) arch
angle; (b) average and standard deviation of all biometric variables used in the current study for
each track
17 Prehistoric Human Tracks in Ojo Guareña Cave System (Burgos, Spain): The Sala... 327

Results
Footprints and Trackways
Although the study has not yet been completed, about 700 footprints have been
identified and at least 8–9 entry trackways to GH I and about 10–11 exit trackways
(Fig. 17.6). Many superimposed footprints follow an apparently chaotic pattern at
the junction with a side passage. This may indicate that some people explored that
passage, while the others waited in the main passage.
About 500 human footprints have been identified in GH II, as well as a minimum
of 7 entry trackways and 11 exit trackways towards Sala de las Huellas. In addition,
the new cartography shows that one of the visitors separated from the group to
inspect one of the hidden corners of the gallery (Fig. 17.7).
Fig. 17.6 Plan of the Galería de las Huellas I, from the scanner, with the identification of imprints
and trackways
328 A. I. Ortega et al.

A preliminary study of 39 GH I footprints will be described. They are integrated
in seven trackways in Galería de las Huellas I: two in an entry direction (trackways
1 and 2) and the remaining five in the exit direction towards Sala de las Huellas
(Fig. 17.8 and Table 17.1). All these footprints are located on the sides of the passage
and correspond to 22 right feet and 17 left feet. They are in an excellent state of
preservation, with the identification of complete footprints with clear anatomical
features (toes, balls, heels, etc.) in the form of a low relief in the soft loam sediment.
The measurements of the maximum lengths and widths of the footprints are given
in Table 17.1.
The sample of footprints is characterized by a certain uniformity in foot length,
with measurements ranging between 250 and 290 mm, resulting in average esti-
mated heights of between 173 and 188 cm (Tables 17.1 and 17.2). This suggests that
the footprints correspond to adult individuals, probably males. The foot width range
shown in Table 17.2 varies from narrower traces, about 123 mm wide, to prints about
Fig. 17.7 Plan of the Galería de las Huellas II, from the scanner, with the identification of imprints
and trackways
17 Prehistoric Human Tracks in Ojo Guareña Cave System (Burgos, Spain): The Sala... 329

Fig. 17.8 Identification of the trackways and imprints analysed in this study. Galería de las
Huellas I, Ojo Guareña Cave system
330 A. I. Ortega et al.

Table 17.1 Main measure-
ments of the 39 footprints
(grouped in 7 trackways)
selected for this study, from
Galería de las Huellas I (mm)
ID_Foot L/R FL FW FHW
1 R 251 112 79
2 L 247 129 84
3 R 247 111 81
4 L 263 128 76
5 R 259 118 88
6 L 256 134 76
7 R 266 122 80
9 R 247 106 77
10 R 257 139 109
11 R 226 121 84
12 L 255 138 11
13 R 273 112 100
14 L 258 119 82
28 R 272 155 113
29 L 245 147 72
101 R 249 117 75
102 L 264 131 100
103 R 258 134 123
104 L 272 129 92
105 R 272 139 105
106 L 256 145 97
67 L 269 124 97
70 R 274 126 104
97 L 267 148 118
98 R 292 137 90
99 L 266 123 102
100 R 271 143 106
68 R 254 124 94
76 R 271 143 82
89 L 259 136 88
90 R 267 144 106
74 R 288 132 120
85 L 290 150 108
93 R 287 150 104
108 L 257 140 103
30 R 249 116 91
31 L 264 125 108
33 L 281 156 86
34 R 273 135 105
L/R left or right, FL foot length, FW foot width, FHW foot heel
width
17 Prehistoric Human Tracks in Ojo Guareña Cave System (Burgos, Spain): The Sala... 331

Table 17.2 Estimated stature and body mass of seven trackways of Galería de las Huellas I, using different height calculation equations (mm)
Trackway Direction FL* FW* FHW*
Atamtürk
(2003)
Ukoha
(2013)
Krishan
(2008)
Atamtürk
(2003)
a
Atamtürk
(2003)
b
Krishan
(2008)
a
Krishan
(2008)
b
1 Inlet 252 10.9 123 11.2 77 23.9 173.34 172.627 175.63 91.95 82.18 72.92 69.85
2 Inlet 262 13.2 133 21.1 92 18.3 178.46 175.769 179.21 99.25 89.84 75.67 75.62
100 Outlet 262 8.8 132 9.5 99 15.6 178.26 175.646 179.07 98.79 93.52 75.50 78.40
200 Outlet 273 9.5 133 10.7 103 9.2 183.87 179.095 183.00 99.48 95.77 75.75 80.09
230 Outlet 263 7.4 137 9.1 92 10.3 178.76 175.954 179.42 102.06 90.29 76.73 75.96
240 Outlet 280 15.6 143 8.8 109 7.5 187.63 181.405 185.63 106.62 98.75 78.44 82.34
300 Outlet 267 13.6 133 17.2 97 10.7 180.81 177.216 180.86 99.25 92.79 75.67 77.85
FL foot length, FW foot width, FHW foot heel width, * median/standard deviation
a
Body mass from footprint width
b
Body mass from footprint heel width
332 A. I. Ortega et al.

133, 137 and 144 mm wide (Tables 17.1 and 17.2). These values stress the presence
of strong individuals.
Despite the uniformity in foot size among the trackways analysed, the AI and the
AA reveal some morphological differences. The AA shows a tendency to flatness or
pronation in all trackways (AA 31), except in trackway 230, which corresponds to
a normal range (Fig. 17.5b). Furthermore, the AI suggests a normal arch range for all
trackways, except for trackway 230, which displays a slightly high arch, and for
trackway 2 and trackway 300, which display a flat arch. These flat arches according
to the AI are commonly a consequence of weight-bearing activities, so it may
suggest that some individuals were carrying an additional weight.
The analysed footprints belong to seven trackways, which represent a minimum
of five individuals according to the direction of the trackways (two entry trackways
and five return trackways) (Fig. 17.8). The length and width measurements of
trackways 2 and 100 are similar, which suggests that these may belong to the
round-trip trackway of the same individual, whose estimated height is about
175–179 cm. The weight calculations are more disparate, however. Depending on
the chosen equations and markers, the weight could be either about 76–78 kg or
90–99 kg (Table 17.2).
Chronology
The chronology of the trackways has been determined in order to contextualize the
activities that took place in this part of the cave, over 1 kilometre from the current
entrance of Palomera Cave.
Delibrias et al. (1974: 53) published four radiocarbon dates from Ojo Guareña,
and Sample Gif-1720 (OG2), from the footprint site, provided an age of
15,600 230 BP, in the Upper Palaeolithic. This sample, collected in 1970, was
taken from the charred remains of a torch at the bottom of a pit that connects
Laberinto Otilio (lower level) with Galerías de las Huellas (upper level). In 1999,
a new date of charcoal on a footprint in Galería de las Huellas II was more recent,
3820 50 BP (pers. comm. Juan Luis Arsuaga), which suggests that both
Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers and Chalcolithic farmers transited this sector of the
cave (Ortega et al. 2013: 182).
The new survey has identified a significant amount of evidence of visits, totalling
60 records: 6 remains in Sala Negra, 23 in Laberinto Otilio and side passages of
Galería del Cacique, 22 in Sala de las Huellas and another 9 in Galerías de las
Huellas I and II, different from the footprints (Fig. 17.9).
In all these passages we have documented scattered remains of charred wood as
well as small concentrations of charcoal and charred wood marks on the walls and
boulders, to mark the rock or rekindle the torches. Several panels of bear claw
scratches on the walls and abundant mustelid imprints have been documented at the
beginning of Galería de las Huellas I and also in the initial section of Laberinto
Otilio.
17 Prehistoric Human Tracks in Ojo Guareña Cave System (Burgos, Spain): The Sala... 333

This survey has also documented the deterioration of the human footprints in Sala
de las Huellas, in which only three areas with prints are preserved, all of them in the
southern section of the great hall, on the irregular surface of the large inclined blocks
covered with loam in which a few human footprints can be observed (Fig. 17.3a).
This study thus presents the results of 15 AMS radiocarbon determinations for
samples from different pieces of charcoal and torches in the Otilio-Negra-Huellas
sector (Figs. 17.2b–e,17.3b and 17.9). They were selected from 55 points with
charcoal identified in the archaeological surveying.
Table 17.3 reflects all the ages of the samples in the different sectors. The number
refers to the identification of the sample on the maps in Fig. 17.9. The table has been
divided into two groups, the upper one corresponds to the third level, with three
dates from Sala de las Huellas, two from Galería de las Huellas II and one from
Galería de las Huellas I. Additionally, it should be noted that we have been able to
identify the 1999 sample in the field, which corresponds to sample 17.OG17.GH2.
C2 (Fig. 17.9, number 3).
Regarding the fourth level of the karst, the survey of the northeast end of this
sector could indicate a possible access from the San Bernabé blind valley
(Figs. 17.1b, c and 17.2a), and one sample of the five identified in the blockage in
Fig. 17.9 Map of sector of the Sala and Galería de las Huellas site, separated in the different levels;
(a) third level, Sala de las Huellas and Galería de las Huellas I–II; (b) fourth level, Laberinto Otilio
and Sala Negra. The black points represent the archaeological evidences and the red numbers the
dated samples, referred to in Table 17.3. (Modified from Grupo Espeleológico Edelweiss 1986;
Ortega et al. 2014)
334 A. I. Ortega et al.

Sala Negra has been dated (Fig. 17.9b, number 13). Eight samples from Laberinto
Otilio have been dated, to add to Sample GIF-1721 OG2 published in Delibrias et al.
(1974: 33) (Fig. 17.9b, numbers 7–12 and 14–16).
The distribution map and chronological table of the remains (Fig. 17.9 and
Table 17.3) reveal the wide chronological range from the Upper Palaeolithic to the
Chalcolithic in the Laberinto Otilio-Sala Negra sector and the concentration of dates
in the third level.
The Palaeolithic sample (GIF-1721 OG2) was collected by members of the Grupo
Espeleológico Edelweiss at the base of the pit that separates the two Galerías de las
Huellas and connects with Laberinto Otilio (Figs. 17.2b and 17.9b, number 7). The
new dates from this section of the maze are concentrated in the Late Mesolithic and
Initial Neolithic (Fig. 17.9b and Table 17.3). A third period corresponds to the
Chalcolithic, with two dates from the upper part of Laberinto Otilio, in areas with
difficult access to Sala de las Huellas.
The spatial layout of archaeological evidence in Sala de las Huellas displays a
clear perimeter distribution towards Galerías de las Huellas II and I. This southern
part of the hall is next to a connection between boulders with the lower Otilio maze,
and several charcoal fragments are observed in both levels. The charcoal identified
as number 1 from Sala de las Huellas was dated to 4080 30 BP, and the charcoal
from the upper part of Laberinto Otilio, number 16, was dated to 3850 30 BP
(Fig. 17.9 and Table 17.3).
In turn, the six samples from the Huellas Sector in the third level have ages
between those two dates (Fig. 17.9a and Table 17.3). This suggests that the Huellas
sector was explored in approximately 4300 calBP.
In contrast, visits in the immediately lower Otilio Sector took place in a wide
chronological range from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Chalcolithic.
Table 17.3 Summary of the human footprint site
14
C data from charcoal, all unpublished and AMS
except Gif-1721 (Delibrias et al. 1974)
No Site Lab-no Sample
14
C BP calBP*
calBP*
(m) Period
1SH(floor,
under block
Beta-
518405
141.OG18.SH14 4080 30 4648-4514
(68%)
4606 CH
4806-4760
(15.8%)
4481-4445
(7.9%)
2SH(floor) Beta-
518404
124.OG18.SH3.2 3910 30 4422-4248
(95.4%)
4335 CH
3 GH-II (floor) Beta-
463838
6.GH1 3870 30 4414-4227
(89.7%)
4314 CH
4200-4178
(4.3%)
4SH(floor) Beta-
518406
144.OG18.SH21 3860 30 4410-4225
(84.0%)
4301 CH
4203-4158
(11.4%)
(continued)
17 Prehistoric Human Tracks in Ojo Guareña Cave System (Burgos, Spain): The Sala... 335

Table 17.3 (continued)
No Site Lab-no Sample
14
C BP calBP*
calBP*
(m) Period
5 GH-II (floor) Beta-
473662
17.OG17.GH2.C2 3820 30 4299-4142
(84.9%)
4214 CH
4126-4093
(5.3%)
6 GH-I (floor) Beta-
473661
16.OG17.GH1.C4 3780 30 4245-4081
(82.9%)
4159 CH
4031-4009
(2.5%)
7 LO (shaft
area, connec-
tion with GH
I)
Gif-
1721
GOG2 15,600 230 19,392-
18,446
(95.4%)
18,919 UP
8LO(floor) Beta-
463837
5.LO1 6940 30 7839-7689
(95.4%)
7764 ME
9 LO (hearth) Beta-
473663
18.OG17.LO1 6920 30 7826-7680
(95.4%)
7753 ME
10 LO (floor,
close to
torch)
Beta-
498596
104.OG18.LO9 6840 30 7732-7610
(95.4%)
7671 ME
11 LO (wall,
shaft, con-
nection with
GH I)
Beta-
463836
4.LO2 5800 30 6670-6503
(95.4%)
6587 EN
12 LO (wall,
shaft, con-
nection with
GH I)
Beta-
473664
19.OG17.LO2 5780 30 6656-6499
(95.4%)
6578 EN
13 SN (floor) Beta-
518403
119.OG18.SN4 5760 30 6650-6484
(95.4%)
6567 EN
14 LO (torch) Beta-
498597
105.OG18.LO15 5410 30 6289-6181
(94.0%)
6234 EN
6139-6129
(1.4%)
15 LO (upper
level)
Beta-
518402
145.OG18.LO20 3860 30 4410-4225
(84%)
4301 CH
4203-4158
(11.4%)
16 LO (upper
level)
Beta-
498598
106.OG18.LO19 3850 30 4407-4218
(75.7%)
4286 CH
4209-4156
(19.7%)
SH Sala de las Huellas,GHGalería de las Huellas,LOLaberinto Otilio,SNSala Negra,CH
Chalcolithic, UP Upper Palaeolithic, ME Mesolithic, EN Early Neolithic, * calibrated with OxCal
4.2 using Intcal 13 (Bronk Ramsey 2009), mmedian
336 A. I. Ortega et al.

Discussion
An increasing number of sites with prehistoric human footprints are becoming
known (Aldhouse-Green et al. 1992; Bell and Neuman 1997,1999; Ambert et al.
2000; Facorellis et al. 2001; Onac et al. 2005; Bennett et al. 2010; Bennett and Morse
2014b; Citton et al. 2017; Ashton et al. 2014; S. Webb et al. 2006b; D. Webb et al.
2014; Atamtürk et al. 2018; Roach et al. 2016). Recent research approaching this
type of site through different disciplines is contributing new knowledge of interac-
tion between humans, the land and the environment in painted caves as special
places (Pastoors et al. 2015,2017).
The Sala and Galería de las Huellas can be framed within those sites that provide
information on the use and transit of the dark zone of caves, where the tracks of old
paths are preserved, but whose specific relationship with the concept of the natural,
social and cultural environment is unknown (Mlekuž2012; Moyes 2012).
In the case of the tracks in Ojo Guareña, their singularity lies in the fact that they
are a long way from the possible entrance point sand without a direct relationship
with symbolic spaces (rock art, burials, etc.), although these exist in other parts of the
cave system. The large number of traces is unique, with over 1200 footprints of a
minimum of 6 individuals but probably of between 9 and 11, according to the
trackways that have been counted.
The superimposition of the footprints, in opposite directions, is indicative of
round-trips, which suggests a single inspection of these passages, during which
some members approached the recesses of the walls or entered the side passage in
GH I. These preliminary observations are visible in both of the Galerías de las
Huellas passages.
It can therefore be proposed that the human footprints in the Sala and Galerías de
las Huellas correspond to a single visit, possibly to explore this deep sector of
the cave.
However, the human visits or tours that have been documented at different times
in the Laberinto Otilio-Sala Negra sector are more difficult to comprehend. This
sector is characterized by the absence of archaeological record and the isolation of
the sector from places of symbolic activity. Nevertheless, this space was visited on at
least four occasions in prehistory: the first about 19,000 calBP, the second moment
around 7700 calBP, the third about 6500 calBP and the last time in relation with the
exploration of the Huellas sector about 4300 calBP.
The results of this project show that the first significant explorations in Laberinto
Otilio, a relatively comfortable maze in its initial section, took place in the Meso-
lithic and Early Neolithic, the times of which the first remains are preserved in Sala
Negra. During more intense explorations in the Chalcolithic, the unstable final ramp
of large boulders was first accessed in order to reach the upper level where their
footprints have been preserved in the Sala and Galerías de las Huellas. The chal-
lenges involved in access to this sector, combined with the spaciousness of its
passages and the chaotic boulders on the floor, do not facilitate an understanding
17 Prehistoric Human Tracks in Ojo Guareña Cave System (Burgos, Spain): The Sala... 337

of the specific activities that took place, although they must be linked with the
exploration and knowledge of the underground world.
The characteristics of this site mean that it cannot be compared with most human
footprint sites, which are generally linked with the zones of habitats, or sacred or
rock art sites, both in the open air and in caves (Bennett and Morse 2014b; Ashton
et al. 2014; Westaway et al. 2013; Atamtürk et al. 2018). Ciur-Izbuc Cave, Romania
(D. Webb et al. 2014); Bàsura Cave, Italy (Citton et al. 2017); Aldène Cave (Ambert
et al. 2000); and Foissac Cave, France (García and Duday 1983), dated in the Middle
Palaeolithic, Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Chalcolithic, respectively, are not
associated with symbolic elements. Foissac Cave was quarried for clay in the
Chalcolithic. The deep zone of Mammoth Cave (United States) was also used for
mining activities (Kennedy and Watson 1997; Willey et al. 2009). However, the
prehistoric traces in Jaguar Cave (Tennessee, USA) are more interesting for our case
study. Watson et al. (2005) documented a single visit by a group of nine individuals
about 4500 BP. The cave was never used for any specific purpose, so the tracks
represent an isolated event.
The footprint site in Sala and Galerías de las Huellas similarly represents a single
event, a simple exploration, but its surroundings, Laberinto Otilio, Sala Negra and
Galería del Cacique, were explored earlier several times. They are in the eastern part
of Palomera Cave, where different types of evidence and human activities have been
identified over a distance of more than a kilometre in length. They show that during
prehistory, the inhabitants of this karst transited and explored the cave until they met
the sediment plug in the San Bernabé cirque, leaving marks in the underground
landscape, small hearths, torches, stones or rock art, graves, etc.
This indicates that the exploration of the interior of this cave system was an
activity that was carried out with certain normality. This exploration must have
represented an initial contact of the underground world that they wanted to conquer
and then select at a later time the different symbolic places that have contributed to
the singularity of this site, which has been designated as Spanish Cultural Heritage
since 1972.
Conclusion
The human footprint site of Sala and Galerías de las Huellas is one of the most
important sites in the Ojo Guareña Cave system, located about 1200 m from
Palomera Cave. It is dated in about 4600–4200 calBP, a range that suggests a use
of the dark area of the cave in the Chalcolithic, although intensive human trafficin
the immediate environment (Laberinto Otilio-Sala Negra-Sala del Cacique) is
documented during the Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic.
The analyses suggest that a group of between 8 and 10 adults explored several
passages in the Dédalo Oeste sector of this large cave, leaving more than 1200
footprints in the soft sediment on the floor of Galería de las Huellas. The exception-
ality of this incursion is due to the complexity of access. This survey of the route
taken by the explorers and their trackways is improving our knowledge of the use of
338 A. I. Ortega et al.

the underground world in prehistory. The analyses of the numerous evidences of
transit in this big cave are helping us to understand the intensity of cave use in
prehistory and especially the use of the dark zone as a symbolic and social landscape.
The research also proves the value of optical laser scanning and photogrammetry
in the collection of data, analysis and preservation of the fragile footprints.
Acknowledgements We appreciate Andreas Pastoors and Tilman Lenssen-Erz’s invitation to
participate in the International Conference on Prehistoric Human Tracks (Colonia 2017) and to
write this article. We thank Peter Smith for the comments and corrections on the paper, and for the
revision of the translation of the text, which have significantly improved the manuscript.
The research was done with the permission of the DG Cultural Heritage of the Regional
Government of Castilla y León, which also funded the Carbon Dating of the Cultural Heritage of
Ojo Guareña Cave system (2017–2020).
The authors also wish to thank the Team of the Grupo Espeleológico Edelweiss for their
constant scientific and technical support, especially with the documentation of photographs and
maps of the Ojo Guareña caves. We thank the Laboratory of Digital Mapping and 3D Analysis of
CENIEH for the technical support in relation to the scanner work. We are also grateful to the staff of
the Fundación Atapuerca for their logistical help in the project.
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