La Draga

(Banyoles, Pla de l'Estany)

During the construction of the Olympic Village in Banyoles in 1990, a Neolithic settlement was unearthed near Banyoles Lake. The Museu Arqueològic Comarcal de Banyoles (District Archaeological Museum of Banyoles) began excavations shortly thereafter.

In 1994, the CASC surveyed the lake and discovered that the settlement continued under water. Since then, both land and underwater areas have been subject to archaeological excavations.

Excavations uncovered pavement remains from huts composed of tree branches and bark, along with pottery sherds, flint and plant remains such as seeds. Vertically positioned stakes, which must have formed part of the huts’ structure, have also been found in situ. Of these findings, the most noteworthy is the collection of wood tools; one such tool preserves a hilted flint blade. Based on archaeological material, the site fits within the Cardial Culture of the Western Mediterranean region. C-14 dating pushes its chronology back to around 5,000 BC.