Scientists Discover Mysterious Underground Rings In French Neanderthal Caves
A team of scientists has discovered unusual, mysterious underground structures in a French cave. The researchers suspect that these structures were probably built by Neanderthals, nearly 176,500 years ago.
The structures discovered possess two stone rings located deep inside the cave at Bruniquel in southwest France. The researchers believe that these structures suggest how Neanderthals were far more complex organisms that previously thought by archaeologists around the world.
An analysis of the mysterious rings revealed that these are formed of mineral deposits called stalagmites. These pillar-shaped mineral deposits were deliberately broken down into pieces of equal length and then arranged in an oval pattern of almost 16 inches in length.
With the help of different dating techniques, the researchers were able to figure out the age of these structures. According to the team of archaeologists, these structures are, by far, the oldest-known well-dated constructions made by early humans.
The huge distance of these structures from the entrance of the cave further signifies that the early Neanderthals had already mastered the art of underground living nearly 176,500 years ago. This indicates a big step toward modernization of the human species.
A detailed analysis of the rings and the surrounding structured further revealed the presence of traces of fire in the form of red and black soot. However, such traces were not present in places outside of the structure. The researchers, thus, suspect that these structures were primarily used to ignite fire or to light up the cave.
The researchers have ruled out the idea of these structures being created by anyone else apart from Neanderthals, including big animals such as bears and wolves. The team suspects that the Neanderthals probably had a plan to go that deep into the cave where no natural light is present and that the ring formation is an example of a group work.
The complete details of the study have been published in the journal Nature.
