In the French cave was found a mysterious building of the Neanderthals.
In the depths of the cave Bruniquel in the South-West of France, in the dark, scientists have discovered an unusual structure — circles of stalagmites, some of which was ripped and built like a stockade.
This discovery was made in the early 1990-ies, but only now scientists have found that the rings were built by Neanderthals. These “primitive” people, as it turned out, were able to create complex structures with artificial light another 175 thousand years ago. About the discovery reported in the journal Nature.
At a depth of 330 meters found arranged in a certain way a handful of stones and two wide rings (about 2.2 and 6.7 meters in diameter). And heaps, and rings are composed of approximately 400 stalagmites of the same size. They specifically split so that to achieve the desired length — so, some stalagmites and chipped top and bottom.
The size of the rings and the neat arrangement of the stones leave no doubt that these structures was in the hands of people, not bears, suiting a rookery. Using radiocarbon Dating, the researchers found that the rings arose 175-177 thousand years ago. Since the ancestors of modern humans had not yet walked out of Africa rings could only be built by Neanderthals.
While scientists have not found a “workshop”, where stalagmites have fought off the tips. However, the main mystery is the function of these structures. Judging by the charred stones and piece of bone, the ancient inhabitants of the cave kindled there the fire, and then cooked (or sacrificed). The researchers assume that the ring of stalagmites was performed for religious or ceremonial function, acting as a prototype of Stonehenge.
This finding is the first clearly dated evidence that Neanderthals could build complex structures. It is likely that similar structures (made of wood, bones or animal skins), they elevated not only in caves, but their traces have long since disappeared.
