Excavation area in the entrance of the cave of Les Toixoneres (Moià) which is located between the two entrances to the main cave of El Toll. Both cavities are opened into marine limestone rock layer from Eocene. The complex of El Toll is really remarkable by the remains of Quaternary animals, from Würm I glaciation (100.000 years) to present and by archaeological findings.
Meanwhile there are still a lot of sediment to dig, 35 species of mammals that include the lion of the caves (Panthera spelaea), the bison (Bison priscus), the wild bull (Bos primigenius), the horse (Equus caballus), the red deer (Cervus elaphus), the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) and the rhinoceros of Merck (Stephanorhinus mercki) have been recovered.
Most of these species are extinct, at least in Europe or in wild state. The study of bones and fossil remains that are found in El Toll and Les Toixoneres displays the rich fauna that inhabited Europe one hundred thousands years ago.The archaelogical findings are human bones and tools, some of them from middle Paleolithic -the oldest 50.000 years before present- and most of them from Neolithic.
The findings from the excavations campaigns in the caves of El Toll are presented in the Museum of Archeology and Paleontology of Moià.
[photo Jordi Badia]