text: Almost 20,000 years ago a woman was buried deep within a cave on the Iberian peninsula, stained in sparkling red paint and adorned in yellow flowers. Her grave provides the first evidence of an ancient Magdalenian burial in the region and an engraved stone found near her remains appears to have been a makeshift tombstone. But the reasons why the female - dubbed 'The Red Lady of El Mirón' - was buried in such an elaborate tomb, close to an area where her peers would have lived day-to-day, continues to baffle archaeologists. The Red Lady's remains (burial site pictured) were found in the El Mirón Cave in Cantabria, Spain. Radiocarbon dating suggests she was buried 18,700 years ago. When the remains were first uncovered they were stained with a sparking red material, later found to be red ochre from a haematite crystal . During the Upper Paleolithic period the Magdalenian culture occupied much of western Europe and spanned from as early as 10,000 BC. Magdalenian hunters  lived in caves, but sites have been found that consisted of shelters made from bones and animals skins. The Red Lady's remains were first uncovered in 2010 during excavations of such a cave called El Mirón Cave in Cantabria between Santander and Bilbao. After discovering a range of individual bones, researchers from the University of New Mexico led by Lawrence Straus, unearthed a mandible and tibia that suggested a full skeleton was placed towards the rear of the cave. The Red Lady's remains were uncovered in 2010 during excavations of the El Mirón Cave in Cantabria. After discovering a series of individual bones, researchers  unearthed a mandible and tibia that suggested a full skeleton was placed towards the rear of the cave. Radiocarbon dating suggests this burial took place 18,700 years ago and that the female was aged between 35 and 40 when she was entombed. She was 'robust, relatively tall, [and] apparently healthy', explained the researchers , and would have lived in the 'cold, open environment of Oldest Dryas.' Herself and her peers would have used stone tools, needles made from bones and projectile tips fashioned from the antlers of the deer and the cave would have been used for shelter and living quarters. They would have hunted for ibex and red deer, fished for salmon and ate plants, including some seeds and mushrooms. When the remains were first uncovered they were stained with a sparking red material, later found to be red ochre from a haematite crystal. This has since faded. A engraved tombstone was found nearby. The pigment and tombstone has led researchers to speculate she was a person of status or authority and was ritualistically buried in such a way to oversee her subjects. Radiocarbon dating suggests this burial took place 18,700 years ago and that the female was aged between 35 and 40 when she was entombed. She was 'robust, relatively tall, [and] apparently healthy', explained the researchers, and would have lived in the 'cold, open environment of Oldest Dryas. Herself and her peers would have used stone tools, needles made from bones and projectile tips fashioned from the antlers of the deer and the cave would have been used for shelter and living quarters. They would have hunted for ibex and red deer, fished for salmon and ate plants, including some seeds and mushrooms. When the remains were first uncovered they were stained with a sparking red material, later found to be red ochre from a haematite crystal. This has since faded. Haematite comes from the Greek word for 'blood' and it is often used as a pigment, particularly in cave paintings. It is not known why the Red Lady was painted in this way, and the researchers are unsure whether her body or clothes were covered in the pigment. However, they have speculated it was likely a burial ritual. In Mayan practices, for example, bodies were covered in a similar way using blue pigment to signify they were sacrifices to the gods. But the fact she was buried within the living quarters of her peers has led the anthropologists to suggest she was instead a person of status or authority and was buried in such a way to oversee her subjects. This status is also hinted at due to the presence of a primitive tombstone. During the excavation a large rock was found that reportedly fell from the ceiling and had been engraved with straight lines. Among these engravings the researchers spotted a V-shaped motif  that they suggest represents a pubic triangle, while another has been speculatively referred to as a schematic hand with fingers. 'Could these be indicators of the presence of the woman buried behind the block?' said the researchers in their paper '"The Red Lady of El Mirón". Lower Magdalenian life and death in Oldest Dryas Cantabrian Spain: an overview' published in the Journal of Archaeological Science. In addition there are lines engraved on the bedrock lower wall and ledge against which part of the corpse had been laid behind the block. The El Mirón site has been excavated 1996 as part of the by the El Mirón Prehistoric Project including Lawrence Guy Straus and Manuel González Morales. During the Upper Paleolithic the Magdalenian culture occupied much of western Europe and spanned from as early as 10,000 BC . Experts suggest the so-called 'Red Lady' was 'robust, relatively tall, [and] apparently healthy'. She would have lived in the 'cold, open environment of Oldest Dryas' and ate ibex, red deer and salmon. Her body was interred at the rear of the cave (pictured) where her peers would have lived and slept . Haematite comes from the Greek for 'blood' and red ochre (pictured) is often used as a pigment, particularly in cave paintings. It is not known why the Red Lady was painted, and researchers are unsure whether her body or clothes were covered in the pigment. But, they have speculated it was likely a burial ritual . The eastern face of the block was additionally 'intensely stained' with red ochre in the area near where the bones were found, creating a link between the block and body. 'The ochre may constitute the only demonstrable “grave offering”,' continued the researchers. 'The burial is one of the most complex features of the Magdalenian record in El Mirón. 'The corpse seems to have been laid on her left side with her back toward the block and chest toward the cave wall. 'The head  would have been at the northern end of the burial. The corpse was probably tightly flexed in fetal position. 'Because many of the bones are stained with red ochre, it is possible that either the woman's clothes had been stained with this material - for decoration and/or hide preservation - or her corpse was stained as part of a burial ritual.' Anthropologists from the University of New Mexico said: 'The burial is one of the most complex features of the Magdalenian record in El Mirón. The corpse was probably tightly flexed in fetal position [and] seems to have been laid on her left side with her back toward the block and chest toward the cave wall' The cave site of El Mirón is in the Rio Asón valley of Cantabria, Spain (marked). Its opening is around 850ft (260 metres) above sea level and the inside is around 100ft (30 metres) deep, 52ft (16 metres wide) The cave site of El Mirón is in the Rio Asón valley of Cantabria, Spain. Its opening is around 850ft (260 metres) above sea level and the inside is around 100ft (30 metres) deep, 52ft (16 metres wide). Research has shown that the site was occupied from the Middle Paleolithic 41,000 years ago up to around 1400AD. During the Upper Paleolithic the Magdalenian culture occupied much of western Europe and spanned from as early as 10,000 BC. Magdalenian hunters  lived in caves, but sites have been found that consisted of shelters made from bones and animals skins. They predominantly hunted reindeer and evidence suggests they lived a somewhat nomadic life. In addition to El Mirón, Magdalenian sites have been found from Portugal in the west to as far east as Poland. The El Mirón site has been excavated 1996 as part of the by the El Mirón Prehistoric Project including Lawrence Guy Straus and Manuel González Morales from the Universidad de Cantabria. During the excavations, a large engraved rock was found. Among these engravings the researchers spotted a V-shaped motif that has been said to represent a pubic triangle, suggesting a female was buried nearby. The eastern face of the block (shown on the left of this map) was also stained' with red ochre . After discovering a series of individual bones (plotted by red dots), researchers unearthed a mandible and tibia that suggested a full skeleton was placed towards the rear of the cave. Radiocarbon dating suggests this burial took place 18,700 years ago and that the female was aged between 35 and 40 when she was entombed . In particular, its blood-red colour may have been symbolic of life and death. Following her burial, the anthropologists said the grave was partially disturbed by a wolf, or similar-sized carnivore. They then believe the skeleton was stained a second time and covered again. 'The scenario that is hypothesised is that the carnivore only minimally disturbed the skeleton, since the bones were unconnected by this time,' the experts continued. 'Then humans apparently found the exposed tibia and thus the rest of the skeleton. They may have removed the cranium and most of the largest bones without totally rearranging the fundamental anatomical order of the former corpse, whose hands may have been placed near her head and feet tucked under her bottom.' Using detailed mineralogical maps of the region, it is thought the Magdalenian people mined the distinctive ochre from an outcrop in the modern-day city of Santoña, situated around 12 miles (20km) from the cave. 'Although lacking in clear grave offerings, the amounts of red ochre on the bones and in the burial infilling and the apparent association with rock art - both engravings and red ochre on the block against which the corpse's back had probably rested - the evidence points to a ritualized interment,' concluded the researchers. 'But, at the end of the day, we are left with a mystery: who was the “Red Lady” of El Mirón and why was she given such special treatment after her death?'
target: Remains of the Magdalenian 'Red Lady' were uncovered in El Mirón cave .
  Bones were stained with a red ochre made from a haematite crystal .
  Grave is the first burial of this kind found in the Iberian peninsula .
  Her identity and why she was buried in an elaborate tomb are unknown .