Acave chamber sealed off by sand for some 40,000 years was discovered in Vanguard Cave in Gibraltar — a finding that could reveal more about the Neanderthals who lived in the area around that time.
“Given that the sand sealing the chamber was 40,000 years old, and that the chamber was, therefore, older, it must have been Neanderthals, who lived in Eurasia from about 200,000 to 40,000 years ago and were likely using the cave,”
While Finlayson’s team was studying the cave in September 2021, they discovered the hollow area. After climbing through it, they found it is 13 meters (43 feet) in length, with stalactites hanging like eerie icicles from the chamber ceiling.
Inside view of the Vanguard Cave, part of the Gorham ’s Cave Complex. © Ancient Origin
Along the surface of the cave chamber, the researchers found the remains of lynx, hyenas and griffon vultures, as well as a large whelk, a type of sea snail that was likely carried into the chamber by a Neanderthal, the archaeologists said in a statement.
The researchers were eager to see what they will find once they start excavating. One possibility is that the team will discover Neanderthal burials, Finlayson said. “We found the milk tooth of a 4-year-old Neanderthal close to the chamber four years ago,” he said.
The tooth “was associated with hyenas, and we suspect the hyenas brought the child [who was likely dead] into the cave.”
It takes a long time to complete such archaeological excavations. Researchers have discovered plenty of evidence of Neanderthals’ presence in the cave system, called the Gorham’s Cave Complex, including a carving that may have been early Neanderthal artwork.
In July 2012, the floor of one of the Gorham’s caves was found to be deeply scratched. Researchers uncovered a series of criss-crossing lines over ~1 square meter, cut into the surface of a ledge about 100 meters from its entrance.
The scratches consist of eight lines arranged in two groups of three long lines and intersected by two shorter ones, which has been used to suggest it is a symbol. The scratches are thought to be at least 39,000 years old, because they were found below a layer of undisturbed sediment of that age in which hundreds of Neanderthal stone tools were discovered. The attribution of the scratches to Neanderthals is disputed.
In addition, findings have suggested that, at this cave system, our closest extinct relatives butchered seals, plucked feathers off birds of prey to wear as ornaments and used tools, previously reported.
Scientists have speculated that this cave system may have been one of the last places Neanderthals lived before they went extinct around 40,000 years ago.
Src: sciton.info
