bury in a squash racquet - ridden cave beneath a Welsh palace , archeologist have uncover passing other evidence of prehistorical world . Dating to the last Ice Age , the objects left by these people propose they were among the very firstHomo sapiensto dwell in Britain .
The discovery was made during ongoing excavations atWogan Cavernbeneath Pembroke Castle in southwest Wales . Due to the treasure treasure trove of artifacts feel here , which detail thousands of years of history , it ’s been yell the one of “ most important archeological cave in Britain . ”
The mouth of the cave was close off by a wall build around 800 years ago , although it ’s still accessible thanks to a spiral stairway from the castle above . It most likely served as a storeroom during the Middle Ages , while artifacts found in the cave show it was used throughout theRomanperiod .
Excavations in Wogan Cavern, underway in summer 2022.Image credit: R. Dinnis
Most intriguingly , there is strong evidence to paint a picture it was inhabited by Mesolithic hunting watch - gatherers during the middle of the last Ice Age . While prehistoric human skeletons have not yet been find at the site , analysis of stone tools found during the 2022 jab confirm that the tools found here were crafted by some of the earliestHomo sapiensto come to Britain .
Alongside the tools , they also bring out the bones of caribou , raving mad horses , andwoolly gigantic , suggesting this cave was the site of a prehistoric butcher shop - cum - dining antechamber .
Given the scale of measurement of the cave , this latest discovery could just be the starting line of thing to come . unusually little is known about whenHomo sapiensarrived in Britain and how they live . We bonk even less about the history ofNeanderthals , the close cousins ofHomo sapiens , in Britain .
With more archeological site at Wogan Cavern arrange for summer 2023 , it ’s hoped some motion about this pivotal flow in human story will be answered .
“ Wogan Cavern is turning out to be a remarkable internet site . We ’re deplorably lagging behind our European neighbours in translate the first local appearances ofHomo sapiens , but the discovery of a new situation can vary that . We can now use innovative archaeological methods to learn much more about this crucial menses . When on the nose did these people come up to Britain , where did they come from , and how did they live in their Ice Age environment ? These are all questions we can now adjudicate to answer , thanks to this incredible cave , ” Dr Rob Dinnis , an archeologist from the University of Aberdeen who is co - leading the labor , say in astatement .
“ Our work has already show that Wogan Cavern is an extremely authoritative site , but the most intriguing affair is how much we ’ve found given how little we ’ve excavated . It ’s a big cave , and we ’ve barely scratch the airfoil . "
" Who knows what else we might find in coming years ? Could there be grounds for even earlier occupation , by our Neanderthal cousin ? give what we ’ve bump so far , I certainly would n’t rule it out , ” added Dinnis .
