Pileta de Prehistoria: New excavations at Gorham’s Cave

New excavations at Gorham’s Cave begin on Monday. The Gibraltar Museum team leading on the excavations will again be joined by international archaeological students from UK and Spain and also Gibraltar.

Gorham’s is the only cave in the area which will form part of the 2015 excavations over the next few weeks. In June a team carried out a short excavation at Vanguard Cave. But as from monday the middle section of Gorham’s will be under investigation.

Professor Clive Finlayson told the Chronicle the main focus would be on the area already under investigation and started back in 2013.

“We didn’t excavate last year because of works to the steps, etc. This is an area in the region of 47 thousand years ago with a Neanderthal camp site. Now we want to know more about their activities here,” he said.

Gorham’s Cave has produced some amazing discoveries over the years and Professor Finlayson suggests it has made the Neanderthals humans.

“The discoveries have allowed us to understand them better and see how sophisticated they were,” adds.

In this latest dig the team hopes to learn more about their domestic activities.

But he reminds us that this cave is always full of surprises and “you never know what might show up!”

The excavations will continue until the end of this month.

By Alice Mascarenhas. chronicle.gi

Actualización 20-07-15: Gorham’s Cave excavations uncover more Neanderthal artefacts
GORHAM’S CAVE, the Gibraltar site of important Neanderthal discoveries, has thrown up new clues to the lives of modern humans’ ancient cousins. Shortly after a new set of excavations got underway in July 2015, archaeologists have uncovered tools and the remains of a campfire, dating back 48,000 years.

In 2014 excavations, researchers found what has been described as Neanderthal art, with a series of patterns scratched into the wall. Until that point, it had generally been believed that artistic expression was solely the preserve of Homo sapiens.

The newest discoveries are “certainly exciting,” leading member of the team and director of the Gibraltar Museum Professor Clive Finlayson told newspaper the Gibraltar Chronicle.

Gorham’s Cave, is one of the last known settlements of Neanderthals in Europe, before the species died out.
This summer’s work in the middle section of the cave will continue for the next few weeks.

The excavations at Gorham's Cave have started. Here's a lovely Levallois flake, made by a Neanderthal around 48,000 years ago, fresh from today!
Posted by Gorham’s Cave (Gibraltar) - The Neanderthal Story on Miércoles, 15 de julio de 2015