Cave Beneath A Welsh Castle Reveals Extremely Rare Early Evidence Of Humans In Britain

Wogan Cavern beneath Pembroke Castle is home to thousands of years of history.

TOM HALE
Senior Journalist

Published
June 15, 2023

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https://assets.iflscience.com/assets/articleNo/69405/aImg/68635/pembrokecastle-l.webp

Pembroke Castle began to be constructed in 1093 CE, but the site is loaded with history much older than that.

Image credit: University of Aberdeen

Buried in a bat-ridden cave beneath a Welsh castle, archaeologists have uncovered extremely early evidence of prehistoric humans. Dating to the last Ice Age, the objects left by these people suggest they were among the very first Homo sapiens to dwell in Britain.

The discovery was made during ongoing excavations at Wogan Cavern beneath Pembroke Castle in southwest Wales. Due to the treasure trove of artifacts found here, which detail thousands of years of history, it’s been called the one of “most important archaeological caves in Britain.”

The mouth of the cave was shut off by a wall built 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 the Roman period.

Most intriguingly, there is strong evidence to suggest it was inhabited by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers during the middle of the last Ice Age. While prehistoric human skeletons have not yet been found at the site, analysis of stone tools found during the 2022 dig confirms that the tools found here were crafted by some of the earliest Homo sapiens to come to Britain.

Alongside the tools, they also uncovered the bones of reindeer, wild horses, and woolly mammoth, suggesting this cave was the site of a prehistoric butcher shop-cum-dining hall.

More:
https://www.iflscience.com/cave-beneath-a-welsh-castle-reveals-extremely-rare-early-evidence-of-humans-in-britain-69405