The nest held far more than bones and twigs.

High on the cliffs of southern Spain, researchers examining a long used vulture nesting site expected to find the usual mix of bones, sticks, and feathers. Instead, buried within the layers of debris were objects that clearly did not belong to the birds at all. Woven fibers, fragments of leather, and other unusual items began appearing as scientists worked through the nest. The deeper they looked, the stranger the collection became, revealing a record that stretched back centuries.



