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Art & Culture
Cultural Heritage
Idiakaitz (Iriakaitz) archaeological site was discovered in 1996 by members of the group Antxieta Jakintza Taldea of Azpeitia in a wide slope which descends towards the river Urola. It is an open air tank located between the town centre of Zestoa and the famous spa, near the railway track of the old train which linked the municipalities of Zumarraga and Zumaia.
This site is noted for the excellent condition of the prehistoric industrial remains discovered there. Of the five different levels found, one corresponds to an occupation from the Lower Palaeolithic period. This has enormous importance as it is the first site from that period found in Gipuzkoa and one of the very few such sites in the whole of the Basque Country.
Altogether, nearly four hundred lithic industry remains have been classified, and the fact that they were made and used here clearly points to the presence of humans. Since the discovery was made, excavations have been carried out every summer at the site.
Archaeological site