40,000-year-old sealed cavern in Gibraltar gives new insight into Neanderthal life

AuthorSHIRA SILKOFF
Published date03 October 2021
Publication titleJerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)
Vanguard Cave is one of four caves that make up the famous Rock of Gibraltar, with the other three being Bennett's Cave, Gorham's Cave and Hyaena Cave. According to UNESCO, the caves provide evidence of Neanderthal life existing in the location for over 100,000 years.

The caves have provided ample evidence of how Neanderthals lived, UNESCO said, including "rare evidence of exploitation of birds and marine animals for food, and use of bird feathers and abstract rock engravings," all of which have allowed scientists to piece together a clearer image of the Neanderthal species and their cognitive abilities.

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While most of what is known today about the species has been garnered from the excavation of Gorham's Cave, researchers have now turned their attention to the smaller, unexplored Vanguard Cave.

The Gibraltar National Museum announced the discovery of the 40,000-year-old sealed chamber on September 24 via their website, stating that the discovery was a culmination of nine years of work, after a project was started in 2012 to determine if the sea rock's Vanguard Cave was home to passages or chambers that had been blocked by sediment over time.

And just as the research team had predicted, a large, sealed chamber was discovered at the very back of the cave by the museum's chief scientist and curator, Clive Finlayson, and his team. A preliminary investigation into the chamber revealed a 13-meter-deep space along the back of the cave, the museum reported.

Initial research into the cavernous space has resulted in several important discoveries, including lynx, hyena and griffon vulture remains. Many scratch marks were visible on the cave walls, left there by an unknown carnivore tens of thousands of years ago.

Speaking to CNN, Finlayson said that none of those were the most impressive discoveries made. Instead, he said, what has most excited the team of researchers was a large marine mollusk found toward the back of the cave.

"The whelk [snail] is at the back of that cave... it's...

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