Decorated basket from Los Murciélagos cave

Cylindrical basket decorated with geometric shapes, particularly rhomboidal. It is a part of a group of six baskets that have been decorated, prior to production, by dipping some of their fibres in natural colouring pigments. These baskets are part of an important collection of objects made from esparto grass, including sandals, tunic or dress fragments, mats and possible lids of containers that were recovered by Manuel de Góngora y Martínez at the end of the 19th century in Los Murciélagos cave, along with stone materials, ceramic decorations and some wooden tools. The special environmental conditions of this cavity also contributed to the conservation of other organic remains. Esparto grass baskets appeared alongside them, containing ochre, strands of human hair, mollusc shells and poppy seeds (Papaver somniferum). Radiocarbon dating of various samples of esparto grass from this site suggests that this collection is the oldest example of basketry and cordage in the Iberian Peninsula.