Gibraltar: 40,000-year-old Neanderthal chamber found with bone fossils of Hyena & Vulture

Excavators digging through the Rock of Gibraltar have come across an undiscovered segment in the Vanguard cave that was once occupied by the Neanderthals. A report by The Guardian suggested that the discovered cave was hidden for over 40,000 years and the findings can now provide a glimpse of the lifestyle of our closest ancestors. The Neanderthals reportedly dominated the cave network for thousands of years. 

Bones of spotted hyena and vulture were found

As per The Guardian, a team of researchers, led by Prof Clive Finlayson, an evolutionary biologist and the director of the Gibraltar National Museum, found a 13-metre space on the roof of the cave. Reports suggest that the Vanguard cave, which is part of the Gorham cave complex, is being examined since 2012.

Inside the chamber, researchers found scattered vertebrae from a spotted hyena, leg bone of a lynx along with a griffon vulture’s wing bone. Finlayson explained that these scattered bones indicate that something dragged the creatures inside the chamber as six or seven examples of scratched claw marks were also observed in the cave walls. 

He figured that the lynx, whose leg bone was found, must have made the marks, however, traces of a large dog were also recovered which expanded the possibilities. Besides, the bone fossils showed no signs of human intervention as they were free from cuts and marks. 

Finlayson further pointed out that the chamber is just 20 metres above sea level today, which explains the evidence of Neanderthal occupation in the past. The Guardian revealed that parts of the cave have fossils of hearths and stone tools apart from the remains of red deer, ibex, seals and dolphins. 

Interestingly, a milk tooth of a four-year-old child was unearthed four years ago from a region which was dominated by hyenas at the time. Experts stated that they are searching for more remains as the hyena must have dragged the kid in the cave before the occupation of Neanderthals in the region. 

The experience was sobering, said lead researcher

In an interview with The Guardian, lead researcher Prof Clive Finlayson compared the discovery of the chamber to that of Egypt’s Tutankhamun tomb. Moreover, the experts believe that further exploration and excavation can provide more insight into the existence and society of the coastal Neanderthals. 

Image: Twitter/@archaeologyEAA