Neolithic Park of the La Draga

3 km. from Can Xargay

The Archaeological Site of La Draga is one of the oldest settlers of farmers and ranchers in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula and one of the first Neolithic lake settlements in Europe (5400-4900 BC). It belongs to the period known as the Cardiac Neolithic, the name given to the type of decoration present in pottery, which was made with the help of a serrated edge (cardium in Latin) when the dough in the containers was still fresh. The site is located on the eastern shore of Lake Banyoles and was discovered in 1990, during the works carried out on the occasion of the Olympic Games.

During its occupation, the town had the form of a peninsula that entered towards the lake, with a smooth and continuous slope. From the prospecting, it is assumed that it had an approximate extension of about 8,000 m². The particular situation of the site in a wetland, in permanent contact with the water table, has led to an exceptional conservation of organic materials, from the wooden pillars of the huts to tools (ax handles, sickles, digging sticks .. .), remnants of basketry or even ropes. This fact makes La Draga one of the main sites for studying the European Neolithic.