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Witness History: Neanderthal cave mystery

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Neanderthal cave mystery

10/12/2020 GMT

BBC World Service - Witness History, Neanderthal cave mystery

A remarkable discovery in a cave at Bruniquel in southern France in 1990

A teenage caver made a remarkable discovery in a cave at Bruniquel in southern France in 1990.

A teenage potholer discovered a cave system near the town of Bruniquel in France in 1990 which contained a mysterious circular structure. It turned out to be nearly 200,000 years old, and built by Neanderthals – transforming our understanding of Neanderthal culture and society. Lucy Burns speaks to Bruno Kowalczewski, who discovered the cave, and geologist Sophie Verheyden, who was part of the research project which discovered the structure’s incredible age.

Picture: taking measurements for the archaeo-magnetic survey in the Bruniquel Cave. Image: Etienne Fabre - SSAC via the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences

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