"The El Gigante rockshelter is located on the southwestern part of Central Honduras over the Estanzuela River valley floor at a height of 1,300 MASL, allowing for a panoramic view of its surroundings. It is a completely enclosed site with a restricted entrance, given that the lower rim of the shelter is some 3-4 m. above the slope leading to it. Since the vault protects the shelter’s interior from rain and wind, the sediments inside have accumulated through thousands of years of use. This peculiar situation has preserved a long sequence of occupation in a very dry micro-environment where not only stone artifacts have been registered, but also remnants of woven fibres and leather. In fact, El Gigante has one of the largest collections of preserved basketry and textiles in Mesoamerica. The 10,300-year-old cordage is the oldest directly dated perishable artifact from Mesoamerica. Also human remains are present and a variety of bones from faunal species (dear, armadillo, rabbit, crabs), as well as plant remains (hog plums, avocado, soursop, and wild beans), and in the most recent phases, also cobs of early domesticated corn..."
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List
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