2139 Torca del Cráneo
Cubija 30T 0450509 4797048 Altitude 396m Length 51m Depth 10m

Updated 22nd December 2004, 12th October 2005; 27th October 2007; 23rd December 2008

A small cave entrance below a 1.5m scar is blocked by 2 rocks. A 3m crawl enlarges to the head of a 10m pitch. The pitch top is 3-4m across and, to the right, a step down and free climb down the back reaches the base of the cave through a small rift.
If a ladder is used down the main drop this hangs between large flakes and lands in a well decorated, low chamber. To the north, a 4m wide rift ascends past the entry point on the right from the free climb to where it chokes with calcite after some 15m. There appears to be a hole about 8m up above the calcite which may pass over the blockage. A maypole could be useful to ascend the calcited walls.
Near  the base of the ladder when the cave was first entered in December 2004 there was black pottery and some bones. Half way up the ladder, on a ledge at the western side of the pitch, about 5m above the floor, lay a damaged human skull. On a ledge hidden under the skull was some more pottery.
One theory for the position of the remains is that the bones were packed into an urn which was placed on the entrance slope above the pitch. This eventually rolled down, hit the flake part way down the drop with the urn and contents shattering. The skull and some pottery landed across the drop and the remaining pottery and possibly bones fell to the base.
During the summer 2005, the skull, pottery and bones were removed. The pottery belongs to at least 5 bronze age objects and the skull is likely to belong to an adolescent from about 3500bp, ie the Middle Bronze Age, about 1500BC. The pottery has "mamelones", characteristic protrusions or nipples similar to those on pottery from Torca del Serruco.
The results of a preliminary study by Jesús Ruiz Cobo is found here as a pdf file. A major article Heads Will Roll: Prehistoric human remains and pottery from two sites in the Matienzo area (North Spain) (Smith P, Corrin J & Ruiz Cobo J, 2008) describes the finds and compares the pottery assemblage with pottery found in sites 3, 65, 89, 179, 360, 913 and 1232. This publication also suggests that it is probable this site "was associated with a small open-air settlement, possibly located at the head of the Cubija valley".
Line drawings of the skull from 4 sides (from Ruiz Cobo Jesús et al, 2008) can be viewed here.

References: anon., 2004e (autumn logbook); anon., 2004f (Christmas logbook); anon., 2005b (Easter & summer logbook); Corrin, Juan 2006; Corrin Juan and Smith Peter, 2007; Smith P, Corrin J & Ruiz Cobo J, 2008 (survey and drawings); Ruiz Cobo Jesús et al, 2008 (survey and drawings)
Entrance pictures:

Click to enlarge. October 2004: Digital photos by Penny Corrin with Juan Corrin. A1 - 2: Discovery August 2005: (A3-D1) Digital photos around the entrance above the Cubija valley by Phil Papard with Jesús Ruiz Cobo, Carolina Smith (B1), Pete Smith & Andy Pringle (B2), Pete Eagan (D1).
	1	2	3
A
B
C
D

Underground picture(s): yes - before exploration

December 2004: Digital photos by Juan Corrin with Pete Smith. Click to enlarge. A1 - 3; B1: Low chamber at base of pitch B2, B3: Views up and down the rift.
	1	2	3
A
B

Archaeological remains:

December 2004: Digital photos by Juan Corrin with Pete Smith. Click to enlarge. A1 - A2: Pottery at base of pitch. A3: Bone at base of pitch Other photos: Broken human skull found on a ledge 5m above the floor and about 1m from the edge. B2: rear view B3: side view C2, C3 skull with pottery found on ledge underneath D1: The enlarged foramen magnum D2, D3: The front side, with sutures visible on the inside surface. E1: The position of the skull near to a 5m drop.
	1	2	3
A
B
C
D
E

August 2005: Digital photos of the excavations by Juan Corrin with Jesús Ruiz Cobo (A1), Jenny Corrin & Pete Smith (B1). Click to enlarge.
	1	2	3
A
B
C

Video: by Juan Corrin 145Mb 10 minute wmv of excavations
Piso 1:
Pete Eagan on entrance pitch  close up of skull
Pete Smith looking into entrance  Jesús Ruiz Cobo measuring on "piso 1"
Zoom out from skull  lifting skull
lifting pottery 1  2  taking skull up pitch
Piso 2:
general pan of "piso 2"  studying pottery
Jesús Ruiz Cobo laying out the excavation site 1  2
Pan across site  Jenny Corrin label writing
Sketching site  labelled pottery
Video lights  Jesús & Jenny
Labelled floor  Zoom out on piso 2
Pottery wrapping  bone extraction
sketching on piso 2  Pottery on floor
Jenny Corrin emerging from entrance
Detailed Survey : sketch  1:500 plan and projected section  
Line survey:
On area survey:
Survex file: yes