Aurochs, mammoth, da bison na fili sun daɗe da bacewa, amma hotunansu da aka zana har yanzu suna kama da sabo a bangon da rufin kogon Altamira. Aƙalla, haka Diego Garate Maidagan ya gaya mini. Yana ɗaya daga cikin mutane kaɗan da aka ba izinin shiga wannan shahararren kogon da ke arewacin Spain.
Na sadu da Garate a bazarar da ta gabata a wani ƙaramin ƙauyen Basque mai suna Gautegiz Arteaga. Shi farfesa ne a fannin tarihin zamanin da da fasahar Paleolithic a Jami'ar Cantabria. Ya gaya mini cewa ya shiga cikin Altamira mako da ya gabata, yana ci gaba da bincikensa na rayuwa game da shirye-shirye, kayan aiki, da hanyoyin da farkon masu zanen Homo sapiens suka yi amfani da su.
Kimanin shekaru 34,000 da suka wuce, kakanninmu na daɗaɗɗe sun fara ƙirƙirar zane-zane masu tasirin haske da inuwa a cikin waɗannan ɗakunan ƙarƙashin ƙasa. An yi amfani da kogon na tsawon dubban shekaru, har sai da dutse ya faɗi ya rufe ƙofar. Kusan zamanin ƙasa gaba ɗaya ya shuɗe kafin wani kare mai farauta ya tono hanyarsa ta buɗe a shekarar 1868, wanda ya jagoranci baƙi da yawa zuwa gidan fasahar tarihi na farko da idanun zamani suka taɓa gani.
Fasahar da ke Altamira ta yi kama da ci gaba sosai ga masu zama a kogo waɗanda ake zaton mutanen Paleolithic ne. Masana da suka nada kansu daga Faransa da farko sun ce duka yaudara ce. (Waɗannan masu sukar sun zama wawaye sosai lokacin da aka sami kogo iri ɗaya a ƙasarsu daga baya.) An ce Pablo Picasso ya ziyarci, ko aƙalla ya ga wasu hotuna. Maganar da aka danganta masa ba ta iya zama gaskiya ba, amma har yanzu hukunci ne mai tunawa: "Bayan Altamira, duk lalacewa ne."
An buɗe wurin ga jama'a a shekarar 1917, an rufe shi wani ɓangare a shekarun 1970, sannan aka rufe shi gaba ɗaya a shekarar 2002. Ƙarni na baƙi masu sha'awa sun nuna illar danshi da carbon monoxide daga numfashin mutane da yawa. An gina kogon kwafi, tare da zane-zanen kwafi, a kusa. A yau, Garate da wasu ƴan malamai kaɗan ne kawai za su iya shiga wurin ibada na asali.
Kwarewar Garate ta haɗa da yin nazari sosai kan dabarar zane ko "ƙwanƙwasa". Masu zanen sun yi amfani da wuƙaƙen dutse don zana siffofi a kan dutse kafin su shafa ochre da gawayi. Altamira baƙon abu ne mai daraja, in ji shi, saboda waɗannan jajayen da baƙaƙen har yanzu suna da ƙarfi da haske. Launukan sun kiyaye ta yanayin keɓewa kusan da tsohon zaftarewar dutse ya haifar.
Zanen bison, wanda aka yi imanin yana da dubban shekaru, a kogon Altamira. Hoton: Pedro A Saura/AP
Sabon tunani yana nuna cewa kakanninmu sun yi zane a duk faɗin yammacin Turai, kuma abin da muke kira "fasahar kogo" yanzu shine kawai abin da ya tsira a kan mafi zurfi, mafi duhun saman da suka taɓa.
Sa'a da ilimin ƙasa sun bar mana wasu manyan wuraren ibada kamar Altamira, da wasu da yawa inda launukan suka daɗe da ɓacewa daga bangon—ciyar da ƙwayoyin cuta, rufe da farar ƙasa, ko kuma gogewa da iska da ruwa. A mafi yawan lokuta, abin da ya rage shi ne ƙananan alamun tsaga waɗanda ke nuna ƙafafu, ƙahoni, da haƙoran dabbobin da suka taɓa zama gama gari kamar shanu. Kamar "hotunan inuwa" waɗanda wani lokaci ake samu ta hanyar X-ray a ƙarƙashin fentin Titian ko Caravaggio, waɗannan hotuna na farko suna da wuyar gani ba tare da taimakon masana ba.
A arewacin Basque Country, binciken kwanan nan na irin waɗannan alamun ya haifar da "ƙaramin juyin juya hali," in ji Garate. Ya kamata ya sani, tunda shi ne babban mai haifar da shi. Shi ma ɗan gari ne, yana zaune tare da matarsa da yara a wannan ƙaramin garin tafkin, Plentzia, inda ya girma.
Ranar da muka hadu, Garate ya yi kama da shirye don kasada: fuska mai gashi, gajeren gashi, mutum mai siriri, kyakkyawa a cikin kyakkyawan yanayi na tsakiyar shekaru, sanye da wando na dabara mai gwiwoyi. Ya ɗauke ni a cikin wata mota mai rikici wadda ta zama makullin kayan aikinsa na kogo, kuma muka tashi a kan irin hanyar dutse da za ta iya sa fasinja mai rubutu ya yi jiri da sauri.
Garate da abokan aikinsa a Santander sun shirya... Sun ƙaddamar da wani kamfen don gwada wata ka'idar aiki: cewa kogunan arewacin Spain da kudu maso yammacin Faransa sun taɓa yin ado sosai da hotuna da zane-zane, waɗanda yanzu ba a iya gani ga idon da ba a horar da shi ba.
"A lokacin, akwai mu uku kawai a sashena," in ji Garate. "Kuma kowannenmu zai buƙaci rayuka uku don bincika duk waɗannan koguna." Don haka suka tuntubi, suka shigar, kuma suka ba da izini ga wata rundunar daga Ƙungiyar Masana Kogo ta Basque. Malaman sun koya wa masu binciken kogo su karkatar da fitilun kansu ta wata hanya kuma su daidaita kallon su daidai. Kuma, kamar saƙonni da ke bayyana a cikin tururi a madubin ban wanka, hotunan fatalwa na dabbobin tarihi sun fara bayyana a duk faɗin Basque Country. Garate da kansa ya sami fiye da rabonsa, ciki har da bison biyu da doki guda da ke zaune a cikin ɓatattun tabo na ochre a Dutsen Lumentxa.
Muka zagaya wannan dutsen muka gangara zuwa ƙauyen Lekeitio, tsohon tashar kamun kifi tsakanin Bay of Biscay da Kogin Lea. Garate ya so ya nuna mini wani kogo na musamman, inda ginin gidan zama ya buɗe wani tsaga a dutsen. A ciki akwai wani rami wanda, kamar yadda kowa ya sani, babu wani mutum da ya taɓa shiga. Ba su sami sawun ƙafa, ƙasusuwa, alamun shiga ba, kuma ba su sami zane-zane ba, Garate da tawagarsa suka sanya masa suna "kogo mai tsabta" kuma suka yi amfani da shi azaman filin gwaji don gwaje-gwajen filin. Sunansa Isuntza bayan mafi kusa da rairayin bakin teku, yanzu ya zama dakin gwaje-gwaje inda masu bincike daga fannoni daban-daban za su iya gwada ka'idodinsu a ƙarƙashin yanayi mafi kyau.
Daga akwatin motar, Garate ya ba ni hular ma'adinai mai fitila kuma ya fitar da wani maɓalli mai nauyi don buɗe wata ƙaramar ƙofar ƙarfe a gindin dutse. Muka sunkuya cikin wani rami na dutse mai laushi muka bi shi na kusan ƙafa 20 har sai da muka iya tsayawa a tsaye a cikin wani ɗaki mai faɗi da tsayi. A can, kusan daliban PhD rabin dozin suna tsaye a wuraren aiki, fitilunsu da kyamarorinsu suna sa kogon ya zama kamar filin fim. Karatun haske a kan kwamfutocin tafi-da-gidanka da aikace-aikacen waya suna bin diddigin yanayin danshi da zafin jiki a ainihin lokacin, suna zana kwatancen kogon don samfuran 3D da na gaskiya, kuma suna rikodin canje-canje a ma'aunin launi na pigments da aka shafa a saman. A cikin alkukai, bayan ginshiƙai, da kuma fadin matakan kwana, sun zana kimanin siffofi na geometric da siffofi na al'ada waɗanda ake gani a wuraren zane-zane a Turai, Afirka, da Ostiraliya.
Babban ra'ayin, Garate ya gaya mini, shine a sake gina hanyoyin yin hotuna na zamanin da: don fahimtar yanke shawara na aiki da na injiniya na masu zanen, don haka su fahimci ƙwarewarsu, iliminsu, da hanyoyin sadarwarsu. Wani aiki ya auna "ƙarfin haske" da "radius na aiki" da aka samu ta hanyar ƙone itace daban-daban da mai don haskaka kogon. Gwajin su na ƙarshe da tocila masu harshen wuta ya haifar da hayaƙi mai yawa har dukan tawagar ta yi saurin fita.
Haskena yanzu ya nuna wani wuri inda aka yi sawun hannu ta amfani da dabarar stencil da kakanninmu suka bari a Altamira da sauran wurare. Garate ya taimaka da wannan gwaji, yana amfani da ƙasusuwan tsuntsaye azaman bututun busa don fesa ochre a kusa da tafin hannunsa da yatsunsa, ko kuma ya cika bakinsa da abin don tofa shi.
"Yaya ɗanɗanonsa yake?" Na tambaye shi.
"Mummuna. Abin ƙyama," in ji shi. "Kuma idan kana aiki da ochre, yana zama a fatar jikinka da tufafinka na kwanaki."
Wani sawun hannu na Olga Spaey ne, ɗalibar PhD ta Belgium wadda karatunta ya kawo ta nan daga Jami'ar Bordeaux Montaigne. Lokacin da na yi magana da Spaey daga baya, na yi mamakin cewa irin wannan abin tunawa mai raɗaɗi na rayuwarta zai iya kasancewa a wannan bangon a cikin shekaru 37,000—kimanin tsawon lokacin da ƙungiyar yara, matasa, da manya suka danna tafin hannunsu a kan wani ƙananan rufi a wani kogo na kusa da ake kira El Castillo. "Ko kuma yana iya ɓacewa a cikin 'yan makonni," in ji ta. (Ruwan da ke ɗigowa daga dutse ya riga ya wanke wasu samfuran a kogon gwaji.)
A cikin waɗannan tsarin kogo, da alama mutane suna zaune a wani yanki—kusa da saman—yayin da suke ƙirƙira da nuna takamaiman zane-zane a wani ɗaki mai nisa wanda har yanzu yana da faɗi da isa don taron jama'a. Masu zane-zane kaɗaɗa kuma sun yi ƙoƙari su shiga zurfin ƙasa don barin sawun hannu guda ɗaya a mafi nisa da wurare masu wahala na kogon.
"Na yi imani cewa zane-zanen dutse wani nau'in addini ne," Spaey ta gaya mini. Wannan ra'ayi ne na kowa a tsakanin masu bincike a wannan fanni. Amma na sami kalmar "addini" ba ta gamsar da ni ta wata hanya—ta ji kamar amsa ce da ke ɗauke da sirrin. Ko ta yaya, wannan kogon gwaji an tsara shi ne don gano yadda aka yi zane-zanen. Tambayar dalilin ya wuce iyakokin binciken.
Fasahar da ke hannun masu bincike yanzu za ta iya yin samfurin yadda kogon ya canza a cikin dubban shekaru. A ra'ayin Spaey, kowane sabon hasashe yana samar da ƙarin bayanai don rarrabawa, yin la'akari, da kuma yawanci watsar da su, ba tare da haskaka wata ka'ida ta musamman ba. "Muna ci gaba da tattara ƙarin bayanai, kuma wani lokacin ina tsammanin muna rasa abin da muke nema. Neman ma'ana, za a iya cewa."
"Ina son kogo," ta ci gaba. "Abin da na fi so shi ne kasancewa a cikinsu. Suna fitar da kai daga rayuwa, daga lokaci, zuwa cikin wannan duhu cikakke. Suna da haɗari. Kana iya mutuwa. Amma wannan ji ne na ɗan adam—don jin sanyi, jin tsoro, don sauraron ƙararraki. Yana da matuƙar asali. Don haka a cikin wannan yanayi mai ban mamaki, watakila muna komawa ga abubuwa na asali waɗanda muke raba su da mutanen farko."
Na ji daɗin wannan ma, amma ina ƙoƙarin yin sanyi, kamar Garate, wanda yanzu ya jagorance ni daga kogon Isuntza ya kai ni kan hanya zuwa wani kogo mai suna Atxurra—wuri inda da kansa ya gano zane-zane waɗanda ya bayyana a matsayin "a cikin Gasar Zakarun Turai na zane-zanen dutse."
Matsayi a saman ko kusa da saman wannan gasar tabbas Lascaux ne, mafi shaharar kogon zane-zane. Na taɓa zuwa can tare da iyalina 'yan shekaru da suka wuce—ko kuma, a madaidaici, zuwa sigar kwafi a cibiyar baƙi a wajen ƙauyen Montignac na Faransa.
Sha'awata ga zane-zanen kogo yana ƙaruwa yayin da nake tsufa da kuma baƙin ciki. Farkon bayyanar wayewar ɗan adam ya zama mafi dacewa da raɗaɗi yayin da muke kusantar ƙarshenta. Ina da tsoro gabaɗaya na gaba, gauraye da damuwa na jin daɗi na mutum mai matsakaicin shekaru. Maganganun yanar gizo sun gaya mini cewa maza na wannan shekaru suna ciyar da yawancin yini suna tunanin Daular Roma, amma wannan lokacin ya yi latti don ɗanɗanona. Na duba zurfin lokaci da wuraren ƙarƙashin ƙasa don neman ta'aziyya. 'Yata, wadda ke ƙasa da shekaru biyar, ita ce babbar damuwata kuma mafi kyawun maganina. Ta faranta mini rai da nata ra'ayi game da juyin halittar ɗan adam, wanda ya taƙaita dukan silsilar gadonmu zuwa wani mutum mai kama da ɗan adam wanda take kira "kakar biri ta." Kakar biri ta, ba shakka, ta zana kogon Lascaux.
Hanyar da nake tunani game da mutanen Paleolithic ta rinjayi sosai da The Dawn of Everything na masanin ilimin ɗan adam David Graeber da masanin ilimin kayan tarihi David Wengrow—kyautar Kirsimeti da na karanta gaba ɗaya kafin Sabuwar Shekara. Wani mahimmin rubutu a gare ni shi ne The Humanoid Stain, wani maƙala na 2019 na marubuciya kuma mai fafutuka Barbara Ehrenreich. Tunanin mafi tsufa fasahar ɗan adam, ta lura cewa dabbobi sau da yawa ana nuna su da cikakkun bayanai na girmamawa, yayin da siffofin ɗan adam ba su bayyana a bangon kogo ba, kuma idan sun bayyana, suna kama da gungumen siffofi marasa kyau: zane-zane masu ruɗani da tsayawarsu. Yin la'akari da matsayinsu a cikin sarkar abinci, masu zanen ba su ɗauki jinsinsu da muhimmanci sosai ba. "Sun kasance nama," in ji Ehrenreich, "kuma da alama sun san cewa sun san su nama ne—nama da zai iya tunani. Kuma wannan, idan ka yi tunani akai na dogon lokaci, kusan abin ban dariya ne—"Ehrenreich ta kammala cewa ba mu ƙara ganin kanmu haka ba. Mun rasa ikon yin dariya da kanmu. "Kuma ina da tsananin zato cewa ba za mu tsira daga halakar jama'a da muka jawo wa kanmu ba, sai dai idan mu ma mun fahimci wargi." Lokacin da na karanta wannan, ya zama gaskiya a gare ni ma. Na yi tunanin zamanin da a matsayin wata da ke haskaka duniyar da ke halaka ta yanzu.
Har yanzu ina iya tunanin rayuwar kakanninmu a matsayin nunin ban tsoro na haɗari da ruɗani. Amma kuma ina kishinsu. Ina karanta littafi bayan littafi game da "rayuwarsu," don amfani da kyakkyawan kalmar Edmund Husserl, ina marmarin kore da yalwar Duniya yayin da suke yaɗuwa a hankali a kanta, suna tafiya 'yan mil kaɗan kowane tsara. Suna da komai a gabansu, waɗannan 'yan iska masu rigar riga.
Sun kuma kasance masu hauka game da magungunan hallucinogen, ko haka masanin ilimin kayan tarihi na Afirka ta Kudu David Lewis-Williams ya yi iƙirari a The Mind in the Cave. Wannan shahararren bincike na ban mamaki ya dogara ne akan al'adun mutanen San a kudancin Afirka da gwaje-gwajen dakin gwaje-gwaje tare da magungunan psychoactive. Yi la'akari da wannan: kwakwalwar ɗan adam a kan magunguna, a cikin duhu cikakke, ko kuma idan an rufe idanu, tana haifar da tasirin gani da ake kira entoptic phenomena. Waɗannan suna samar da siffofi da alamu—digogi, layi, zigzag, coronas—waɗanda kuma suke bayyana a matsayin abubuwan da ake maimaitawa a fasahar kabilanci, daga Afirka ta Kudu ta zamani zuwa kogunan Upper Palaeolithic na yammacin Turai. Lewis-Williams ya yi jayayya cewa imanin shamanic na iya fassara waɗannan abubuwan da suka dogara da kwakwalwa a matsayin alamu ko ƙofofi, wanda zai jagoranci al'ada zuwa zurfin ƙasa don zana ko sassaƙa waɗannan siffofi masu iyo a bangon duniyar ruhinsu.
A cikin wannan duhu, za su kuma nuna hotunan dabbobin da suke farauta, a rayuwar farke da kuma a mafarki. Kuma yayin yin haka, za su sha abubuwa kuma su yi raye-rayen al'ada don shiga yanayin trance kuma su ɓata gefuna na gaskiya. "Kai, wannan abin mamaki ne," za ka iya tunani, kamar yadda na yi—amma masana ilimin kayan tarihi da yawa sun ƙi wannan ra'ayi. Na ji an kawo shi a shirin Melvyn Bragg na BBC Radio 4 In Our Time, kuma wata farfesa baƙo daga Jami'ar Durham ta yi dariya da raini.
Ba da daɗewa ba, a watan Oktoba 2024, ina cikin Basque Country kan aikin rahoto lokacin da na sadu da fitaccen masanin tarihin zamanin da na Isra'ila Ran Barkai. Ya gamsu sosai da Lewis-Williams kuma ya ɗan ji haushi da wannan nau'in ilimin Burtaniya mai adawa. "Da yawa daga cikinsu suna ganin rashin mutunci ne a ce Homo sapiens na farko suna shan magunguna ko shiga yanayin canjin hankali," in ji Barkai. "Kusan kamar suna son Homo sapiens ya zama mutum mai mahimmanci, sanye da kwat da wando yana yin komai da kyau. Suna ganin alaƙa kai tsaye tsakanin zane-zanen dutse da Gidan Tarihi na Biritaniya, ko Louvre."
Barkai ne ya fara gaya mini game da kogon Atxurra. Mun fara magana a Cibiyar Tsuntsaye ta Urdaibai, gidan kayan tarihi na tsuntsaye da tashar sa ido a kan wani gishiri da aka sake dazuzzuka tsakanin Kogin Oka da Bay of Biscay. Ina can don rubuta game da wurin a matsayin samfurin tattalin arziki mai laushi da dorewa na yawon shakatawa na yanayi, wanda yanzu ke fuskantar barazana daga wani nau'i mai kutse.
A ƙarshen kakar wasa, kaɗan ne kawai daga cikinmu muke zama a cikin wuraren kwana masu sauƙi da cibiyar ke ba wa masu kallon tsuntsaye da masana ilimin tsuntsaye. Amma Farfesa Barkai ba shi ne mai kallon tsuntsaye ba fiye da ni. Ya zo yankin ne don zane-zanen kogo. Kuma bayan ya shafe yini guda yana binciken kogo zuwa zane-zanen Paleolithic a cikin hanyar sadarwa ta Atxurra, yanzu ya zauna a gajiye da jin daɗi a kan wani ƙaramin kujera a falo na baƙi. Dukanmu muna fuskantar bangon taga mai girman allon sinima.
Ya kasance balaguron fili ne, in ji shi.Don aikinsa a sashen ilimin kayan tarihi a Jami'ar Tel Aviv, na yarda da sha'awata a matsayin wanda ba kwararre ba kuma na ambata cewa na gama The Mind in the Cave kwanan nan. Lokacin da na tambaye shi ra'ayinsa game da shi, Barkai ya yi mamaki da gaske. Wataƙila ya yi dubu biyu. Tambayar da baƙo ya yi masa a hankali a irin wannan wuri mai nisa game da wani batu na musamman a cikin fanninsa... amma, kamar Carl Jung, shi ma bai yi imani da daidaituwa ba. Ya riga ya rubuta littafi wanda ya haɗa tunanin Jungian da zane-zanen kogo.
A taƙaice: Jung ya gina ra'ayinsa na rashin sani na gama gari a kan mafarkin da ya gangara matakan wani babban gida. Kowane mataki yana wakiltar wani zurfi, tsohon Layer na tarihin ɗan adam, daga karni na 20 har zuwa bene na ƙasa wanda ke warwatse da tsofaffin kwanyar Homo sapiens. Don haka, tsayawa a gaban hotunan da kakanninmu suka yi a wannan bene na ƙasa yana kama da gane ko tuna archetypes waɗanda suka taɓa zama mahimmanci a gare mu.
"Na yi imani muna ganin abin da suka gani a kogo," in ji Barkai. "Rashin saninmu ya gaji daga nasu, kuma muna raba ji ɗaya da suka yi lokacin shiga waɗannan wurare." Bayan gilasai biyu na ruwan inabi na Basque, txakoli, na tambaye shi ko yana jin mun bar su—waɗanda suka zo kafinmu. (Wani littafinsa na farko shi ne They Were Here Before Us.) Ina nufin, sun ba mu wuta, kuma muka ci gaba da ƙone duniya da ita. Wataƙila shi ma yana jin cewa kakanninmu na biri za su yi matuƙar baƙin ciki da yadda muka zama?
"Ba na tsammanin Homo sapiens na farko za su yi wani tsammani game da mu, ko kuma, a ce, tsammanin," in ji Barkai. "Amma na yi imani mun yi kuskure fiye da su. Mun rasa alaƙar da suke da ita ga wannan duniya. Sun jagoranci hanya da kyau da nasara, kuma mun shagala... Mun ɗauki wata hanya, wadda yanzu take kai mu ga matattu, watakila." Ya yi imani cewa Homo sapiens na farko sun fi mu. "Ya kasance fikinik ne a gare su," in ji shi.
Barkai baya son yin korafi game da halin da yake ciki, "amma abubuwa sun kusan yiwuwa a Isra'ila yanzu," ya gaya mini, yana amsa tambayar da ban yi ba. Kwanan nan, yana wahalar da kansa ta hanyar yin zanga-zanga ga gwamnatinsa kowane karshen mako. "Ina jin farin ciki sosai da kasancewa a nan a wannan lokacin," in ji shi. Dazuzzuka da tsaunuka a wajen taga suna da haske shuɗi da kore mai zurfi. Muna kallon ospreys, spoonbills, herons masu salon tashi kamar pterodactyl, da sauran tsuntsaye da yawa da ba mu iya suna, duk suna shawagi a kan tudun ruwa.
Barkai ne ya sa ni tuntuɓi Garate, wanda daga baya ya shigar da takardar neman izini a madadina, yana neman gwamnatin Basque ta bar ni in shiga kogon Atxurra. Bayan 'yan watanni, izini ya zo.
Babu kuɗi a cikin waɗannan koguna, Garate ya gaya mini a ɗan gajeren tafiya daga Isuntza, don haka babu wani ainihin saka hannun jari a bincike ko kulawa. Lokacin da muka shiga ta ƙofar ƙarfe da aka sanya yanzu a Atxurra, hannun ya karye da zarar ya kulle ta a bayanmu. "Ina fatan za mu iya sake fita," in ji shi, kuma na yi dariya saboda ya yi dariya.
Tun da aka gano shi a shekarun 1880, masu bincike masu son, masoya matasa, da magoya bayan ƙwallon ƙafa sun rubuta sunaye da kwanan wata a duk hanyoyin gaba na kogon: mun wuce alamun 1884, 1902, 1943, 1965. Garate ya nuna alamun farce da aka bari a bangon da berayen kogo waɗanda suka bace kimanin shekaru 26,000 da suka wuce.
A cikin shekaru 150 da suka gabata, tono na ƙwararru ya sami ƙasusuwan barewa, gutsuttsuran kayan aiki, da ragowar gawayi waɗanda ke nuna wurin zama na ɗan adam na farko ba da nisa a cikin kogon ba, kuma mai yiwuwa an yi amfani da shi a lokuta daban-daban. Amma ba a sami zane-zane a Atxurra ba har sai Garate da abokin aikinsa Iñaki Intxaurbe suka zo bincika mafi zurfin sassanta a shekarar 2015.
Daga baya, za su sake gina yadda majagaba na zamanin dutse suka yi hanyarsu ta komawa can da kayan haske da zane. Sun ƙididdige cewa tafiyar cikiZai ɗauki kimanin mintuna 40 ga ƙaramin tawaga ta amfani da tocila na itace yayin tafiya, da fitilun da ke ƙone mai da zarar sun isa wurin aiki. Balaguronmu na mutum biyu ya yi sauri kaɗan, tunda muna da takalmi masu kyau, fitilun kwalkwali, da hanyar da Garate ya sani da zuciya ɗaya.
[Duba hoto a cikakken allo: Diego Garate Maidagan a kogon gwaji na Armintxe a Lekeitio, Spain. Hoton: Diego Garate]
Bayan jin kamar rabin sa'a na motsi akai-akai, na duba agogona na ga mintuna tara kawai ya wuce. Garate ya ce bai saba da yadda lokaci ke canzawa yayin binciken kogo ba. Rana mai aiki a cikin duhu na iya zama kamar cikakken mako na aiki; dare da aka yi sansani a cikin dutse na iya wucewa kamar ɗan gajeren barci.
Motsawa cikin wannan sarari ya ji kamar yawo a cikin wani babban birni mara komai a lokacin babban katsewar wutar lantarki. Babu hasken tauraro don taimakawa, babu kyandir a tagogi—kawai haskoki biyu na sirara daga fitilun kwalkwalinmu suna share tituna da gine-gine waɗanda ba a iya gani. A wasu wurare, dole ne mu yi rarrafe a cikin cikinmu, muna matse kawunanmu da gindinmu a ƙarƙashin dutse mai rataye, muna murzawa cikin yumbu mai laushi da guano. Sauran sassan suna buƙatar hawa zuwa cikin duhu, tare da Garate yana jagorantar ni zuwa wuraren hannu da ƙafa masu aminci. Mun wuce gidajen da ake iya isa cikin sauƙi zuwa wurare masu wahala waɗanda kawai masu binciken kogo masu ƙwazo suka sani, kodayake tsawon shekaru goma an rufe dukan hanyar sadarwa ga kowa sai masu bincike da aka amince da su.
Lokacin da muka isa bayan kogon, zan iya jin iska da jin ruwan ɗigowa wanda ko dai ya wanke pigments ko kuma ya rufe su da ruwa. Mai jagorana ya riƙe kaina a hankali don samun kusurwar da ta dace don fitilar kwalkwali ta haskaka ab
