Bearded Vulture Nests Found to Contain Clothes and Weapons Dating Back Centuries

We’re used to hearing about archaeological discoveries buried underground, but you probably wouldn’t assume they’d be found in a bird’s nest. However, these objects will occasionally find their way into such places. Archaeologists recently documented vulture nests containing artifacts dating back centuries.

1. Accidental Treasure Hunters

Accidental Treasure Hunters

Researchers from various institutions, including the Institute for Game and Wildlife Research, the University of Granada, and the University of Cantabria in Spain, outlined their findings in the journal Ecology. They documented 12 abandoned nests built by bearded vultures—a threatened species that likely vanished from southern Spain roughly a century ago.

The birds are known for building solid homes and placing them strategically to avoid damage within mountain ranges. As a result, the structures can last for centuries and across generations with the proper placement. Additionally, bearded vultures—like many other bird species—will use nearly any material they see fit for nest-building. 

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It’s not uncommon to find human-made objects mixed into these structures, so the researchers went treasure hunting. While surveying the dozen nests over six years, they found bones, hooves, eggshells, hair, and many other random items. They also uncovered 226 human-made or altered objects, including weapons (e.g., a crossbow, a wooden lance, and portions of a slingshot), wearables (a 675-year-old shoe made from grass and sticks), and a woven basket that appears to be around 150 years old. The archeologists were able to determine the age of these items using carbon dating.

Bearded vultures aren’t the only birds whose nests function as time capsules. For a study published earlier this year, coot nests in Amsterdam were examined to reveal human trash going back decades.