The fossil pollen found on the tomb of the "Red Lady" in Spain
The custom of bringing flowers to the dead is very ancient, more than we could have assumed, or probably, has existed since man himself has existed.
The recent discovery is a clear demonstration of this , in a cave in Spain, of fossilized remains of pollen on a Paleolithic sepulcher.
The most plausible explanation is that these flowers, laid about 16,000 years ago , were placed there to honor the deceased, a woman who was almost certainly an eminent personality within the community.
The cave in question is that of El Miròn, in the Cantabria region, while the tomb is that of the so-called "Red Lady".
The pollens found, mostly of flowers of a spontaneous and common herbaceous plant belonging to the Chenopodiaceae family, testify to the oldest known floral tribute so far.