Horns (Bos primigenius)

These horns belonged to an aurochs, a member of the Bos primigenius species, and were found at the archaeological site of Arriaga, excavated on a fluvial terrace of the River Manzanares near where it flows into the River Jarama in Madrid. They measure a maximum of 80 cm long, from base to tip, and are still attached to part of the upper cranium. This species was well-adapted to mild, wet climates and often lived on prairies. The males could have horns over one metre long, stand up to two metres tall at the withers, and weigh more than two tonnes. During the temperate phases of the Middle Pleistocene, these river valleys were home to a wide variety of mammals (elephants, horses, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, aurochs), drawn by the abundant vegetation and water. Hominins wandered across the same landscape, foraging for resources and eating the meat of this megafauna. The kind of activities associated with butchering, quartering and consuming animals in riverside environments left behind an abundance of stone tools and faunal remains, giving rise to one of the highest concentrations of Palaeolithic sites in Europe.