La Draga Neolithic Hut

La Draga is located in Banyoles, a city in the region of Catalonia, Spain, in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula. Precisely, La Draga is located at the eastern shore of Lake Banyoles, at 172 m. asl.     The site was discovered in 1990 and the archaeological excavations began back then and are ongoing. From 1990 to 2021 three different sectors have been being excavated: A, B (and its extension, sector D) and C, covering a total area of approximately 1000 m2, which corresponds to the 6% of the total estimated extension of the site. The archaeological data used for the reconstruction of the hut were recovered mainly from sector D ( /B).     Nowadays, the archaeological site is partially underwater, but the most extensive area is on dry land, where the archaeological layers can be found both above and below the current water table. The relationship between the archaeological sectors on dry land and the phreatic level strongly affects the preservation of organic material, which is extraordinary when the archaeological layers are beneath the actual water table. The anaerobic conditions and the stable level of humidity that prevail in these areas of this partially submerged site are responsible for the excellent preservation of organic materials, a fact that makes La Draga a unique case in the Iberian Peninsula.     Two different occupation phases have been identified, with some particularities on the different sectors. In general terms, the two phases are separated by the presence of a paved surface of travertine slabs which was built above the collapsed wooden structures. The layers above the travertine pavement correspond to the last Neolithic occupations (5216–4981 cal. BC). In this phase the organic remains are not so abundant (apart from carbonized organic material) and, in general, a scarcity of archaeological finds is observed. The layers that appear below this pavement correspond to the earliest occupation (5372–5067 cal. BC). The most impressive assemblages recovered from the excavations in La Draga are from this phase, including organic material preserved in abundance and in great condition. Among the finds there were wooden constructional elements, including thousands of piles and beams, wooden tools and receptacles, baskets and pieces of rope made of vegetal fibers.