{"id":219390,"date":"2025-10-12T14:55:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T14:55:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/219390\/"},"modified":"2025-10-12T14:55:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T14:55:11","slug":"vulture-nests-in-spain-reveal-a-centuries-old-sandal-and-other-stunning-cultural-artifacts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/219390\/","title":{"rendered":"Vulture nests in Spain reveal a centuries-old sandal and other stunning cultural artifacts"},"content":{"rendered":"

The bearded vulture<\/a>, a large bird of prey with an unusual diet consisting primarily of bones, has long fascinated ornithologists. But now, a new study has shown why the bone-eating birds could be even more intriguing than once thought. Their carefully crafted nests, serving multiple generations, may also act as \u201cnatural museums<\/a>,\u201d preserving centuries-old cultural artifacts, according to scientists.<\/p>\n

In Spain, researchers studied a dozen bearded vulture nests between 2008 and 2014. The team analyzed them layer by layer, uncovering over 200 human-made objects that the birds may have repurposed as building materials. Carbon dating of these items revealed that the nests date back to at least the 13th century, with the oldest artifact being a sandal that\u2019s over 700 years old. The findings were published September 11 in the journal Ecology<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The bearded vulture has an unusual diet consisting primarily of bones. – Antoni Margalida<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew that the bearded vulture is a transporting species that can carry objects to its nest for construction, but we were surprised by the number of objects found and their age,\u201d said lead author Antoni Margalida, an ecologist at the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology at the Spanish National Research Council in Jaca, Spain. \u201cThis means that these sites, used for centuries, are quality locations that different generations have used for breeding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not only does the research open new avenues for finding cultural artifacts, but it could also help future conservation efforts for the species, the scientists said.<\/p>\n

Artifacts in vulture nests<\/p>\n

The bearded vulture is the only known vertebrate to specialize in eating bones, comprising up to 90% of the creature\u2019s diet<\/a>. As the study authors set out to find historical nests \u2014 sites no longer in use either due to local extinction or unsuitable habitat factors \u2014 they were primarily interested in finding bone remains. The team aimed to study the past inhabitants\u2019 diet and compare it with the diet of modern birds today.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A crossbow bolt and its wooden lance were among over 200 cultural artifacts uncovered in the nests. – Sergio Couto<\/p>\n

But the researchers said stumbling upon the copious number of artifacts entangled in the historical nests took them by surprise. Over 9% of the specimens pulled from the structures were human-made.<\/p>\n

Besides the sandal, which was crafted from woven twigs and grasses, other items found within the nests included a painted piece of medieval leather that resembles a mask, remnants of a basket dated to the 18th century, an arrow from a crossbow, ropes and rigging for horses, and more. The sandal is the oldest artifact so far, but the study team has yet to carbon-date other items, Margalida said.<\/p>\n

The documented findings offer an intriguing look into human culture, according to Margalida. \u201cThis can give us information about how people dressed, how they hunted (through the slingshots and crossbows found), and which domestic and wild species were most abundant in the ecosystem,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Because bearded vultures, which have a nearly 10-foot (3-meter) wingspan, like to nest in cliff caves or rocky areas that have stable temperatures and humidity, bone remains, human-made objects and other nest materials can stay relatively well-preserved, according to the research.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis study sheds new light, and really a whole new angle on the place of the Bearded Vulture in our understanding of the interplay between a fascinating bird and the history of human culture,\u201d John Fitzpatrick, director emeritus for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, said in an email.<\/p>\n

\"Researchers<\/p>\n

Researchers studied a dozen bearded vulture nests between 2008 and 2014 in southern Spain. – Sergio Couto<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact that Bearded Vultures are now recognized as \u2018recording artists\u2019 documenting human history just adds to their unique mystique,\u201d he added. Fitzpatrick, who is also professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at Cornell University, was not involved with the new research.<\/p>\n

In southern Spain, where the researchers recovered the nests, bearded vultures have been locally extinct for 70 to 130 years, according to the study. To find the nest sites, the study authors spent years looking into historical records as well as speaking with older residents of the area who remember the birds when they were around. Today, bearded vultures can still be found<\/a> in areas of Europe, Asia and Africa, but they are less common and widespread than they once were centuries ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile this research occurred in Spain, the Bearded Vulture has a broad distribution over the Old World \u2014 including in the Himalayas, the Caucasus, and the Ethiopian highlands,\u201d said Evan Buechley, a researcher on raptor ecology and vice president of conservation for international programs with The Peregrine Fund, a nonprofit that aims to conserve birds of prey worldwide.<\/p>\n

Studying other nests, such as those in Ethiopia or Tibet, \u201ccould reveal fascinating insights into the human histories of other mountainous regions of the world,\u201d he added in an email. Buechley was also not involved with the study.<\/p>\n

Saving the bearded vulture<\/p>\n

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List categorized the bearded vulture in 2014 as near threatened<\/a>. By studying the birds\u2019 nests, including those that are no longer in use, researchers can better understand factors that make habitats suitable, such as the basis of their diet or the effects of pesticides in the area, Margalida said.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A painted fragment of medieval leather that resembles a mask also was recovered. – Sergio Couto<\/p>\n

In addition, understanding the species\u2019 historical factors, such as their breeding distribution and diet, could help researchers decide where and how to reintroduce the species in future projects, Buechley said.<\/p>\n

The research also highlights the large effect humans have on wildlife. Buechley pointed to the California condor<\/a>. This New World vulture is a critically endangered<\/a> species that faces issues with its chicks ingesting trash brought back to the nests by their parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis underscores the importance of maintaining vast areas of wild habitat that remain largely free of some of the worst toxins that humans create and leave around the landscape for curious critters \u2014 even as big and rock-solid as Bearded Vultures \u2014 to play with and take home,\u201d Fitzpatrick said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBearded Vulture is already a revered bird bearing a special place in the hearts and minds of people who know about it,\u201d he added. \u201cAnything that informs the public about the fascinating ways in which wild birds and human culture intersect has huge value, both for our own appreciation of the extraordinary world around us and for our commitment to ensure the long-term protection of wild species and wild places.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taylor Nicioli is a freelance journalist based in New York.<\/p>\n

Sign up for CNN\u2019s Wonder Theory science newsletter<\/a>. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.<\/p>\n

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The bearded vulture, a large bird of prey with an unusual diet consisting primarily of bones, has long…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":219391,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[113118,113116,123788,123790,123789,113119,79,3662,5497,201],"class_list":{"0":"post-219390","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-antoni-margalida","9":"tag-bearded-vulture","10":"tag-cultural-artifacts","11":"tag-evan-buechley","12":"tag-john-fitzpatrick","13":"tag-margalida","14":"tag-science","15":"tag-spain","16":"tag-study","17":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=219390"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219390\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/219391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=219390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=219390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=219390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}