A chance discovery made by workers carrying out work on the construction of a telephone exchange has brought to light a Neanderthal settlement, dating between 126,000 and 115,000 years BC.
The discovery was made in what is now Northern Bohemia, in the Czech Republic. During the so-called rescue excavations, where an emergency call center facility was to be built, they uncovered evidence of a Neanderthal settlement.
The discovery, made by archaeologists from the Bohemian Paradise museum in Turnov, provides valuable evidence of life in the Middle Paleolithic Age. The finds, which came to light in late October to early November last year, include about 40 objects that suggest a Neanderthal settlement.
Roman Sirovátka, gives more details about this important discovery: “We discovered trenches filled with charcoal and burnt earth, suggesting that they may have been used as fire pits. In addition, we discovered many stone tools and remains of shelters. We have taken samples from the ground, based on which we can begin to reconstruct the natural environment around the site.” he said.
According to Sirovátka, the site is thought to have been a Neanderthal hunter-gatherer stop. The dating is based on the discovery of tools, such as a jasper scraper and other small artifacts.
«The site was buried in a fluvial terrace of sand and gravel, and was hidden under a bank of yellow calcareous mud. It was formed during the late Ice Age. Therefore, we are almost certain that the find dates back to the Middle Paleolithic Age. The settlement must have been there, a maximum of 110,000 years ago.”
The originality of the discovery
It is the first Neanderthal outdoor site discovered in the Czech Republic, possibly in Central Europe. Contrary to previous finds, which are mainly found in caves, this settlement was discovered in the countryside.
According to Sirovátka, one reason may be that, as a rule, excavations in the geological substratum are not supervised by archaeologists. While the finds reveal limited details about their owners, archaeologists can piece together the picture of how these Neanderthals might have lived based on what is known so far about their behavior and environment, Sirovátka explains:
«They were hunter-gatherers, just like o Homo Sapiens. They moved around the surrounding landscape of their settlement, hunting animals and gathering berries and herbs. It has not been clarified whether it was a permanent or a temporary settlement. But we are certain that, at that time, there was a forest on the spot, which, with the beginning of the Ice Age, disappeared. At this time, based on the finding, we cannot say anything more,” he explained.
The next step is deeper excavation and radiocarbon dating to determine the exact age of the artifacts and remains.
Source: www.enikos.gr
