The archaeological site of the Cova de l'Or in Beniarrés resumes this Saturday 15 March its guided tour programme. The Fundación CV MARQ, together with the local Town Council, manages this interesting proposal, which offers visitors a complete tour of both the Interpretation Centre and the site itself.
The activity, which can be enjoyed on Saturdays and Sundays until 13 July nextbegins with a guided visit to the Interpretation Centreincludes a tour of the museum and the projection of a video to contextualise the space and its surroundings. From there, the itinerary continues by vehicle -included in the service offered-. to the start of the trail leading to the site.
After a short walking tour where visitors can enjoy the rich flora and fauna of the Benicadell Valley, access to the interior of the cavewhere attendees receive a detailed explanation of the way of life, customs and practices of the people who lived there more than 7,000 years ago.
"The Cova de l'Or is an archaeological site of international reference from the Neolithic period that has been converted into a site museum by the Diputación de Alicante, through the areas of Architecture and Culture, with the aim of protecting, disseminating and preserving its high historical value."said the deputy for culture, Juan de Dios Navarro.
Those interested in this proposal can book their ticket or consult more information on the website www.marqalicante.com. The timetable for visits to the site and to the Interpretation Centre is from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm and departures to the cave take place at 9:00 and 11:30 a.m. -Saturdays and Sundays-.
At 675 metres above sea level, the Cova de l'Or is located on the southern slope of the group of reliefs that make up the Benicadell mountain range. It houses an archaeological site of enormous importance for the knowledge and research of the Neolithic period on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The quality and significance of the archaeological material found in the excavations carried out since the beginning of the 1930s suggest that the cave was a place of social reference for the inhabitants of Mediterranean origin who, in the middle of the 6th millennium BC, introduced the practice of agriculture and livestock farming into these valleys.
In the Cova de l'Or, material elements have been found that bear witness to the importance of the occupation in the Early Neolithic (5500-5000 B.C.)The site was an ideal place for habitation. The accumulations of wheat and barley seeds, typical of ancient crops, found in the interior of the site date from this historical period, as do the shell-printed ceramics, particularly those with decorative human figures with their arms raised, alone in a praying position or in a group evoking a dance.
The symbolism of this pottery is defined within the movable aspect of Macro-Schematic Art.This links the cave to the Rock Art sanctuaries of that chronology, such as the Sarga in Alcoy or the Pla de Petracos in Castell de Castells, and the Cova de l'Or may have been part of some kind of ritual cycle linked to these meeting and gathering places.
