Further Excavations Planned at Welsh Cave with Ancient Hippo Remains
Archaeologists from the University of Aberdeen are set to launch a major five-year excavation project at Wogan Cavern, located within Pembroke Castle in Wales. The site, previously thought to hold little archaeological value due to Victorian-era alterations, has emerged as a significant prehistoric archive following small-scale digs between 2021 and 2024. These initial efforts uncovered abundant evidence of human and animal activity spanning over 100,000 years, including rare traces of early Homo sapiens, potential Neanderthal occupation, and hippopotamus bones dating back 120,000 years. Funded by the Calleva Foundation, the new project aims to utilize advanced scientific techniques, such as ancient DNA analysis and high-resolution dating, to study past climate change, extinct species, and human adaptation. Dr. Rob Dinnis, who directed the initial excavations, described the cave as a unique, once-in-a-lifetime discovery for British archaeology. The findings promise to provide crucial insights into how environmental shifts affected early inhabitants, ranging from hunter-gatherers post-Ice Age to earlier hominids. This initiative marks a new chapter for Pembroke Castle, enhancing its historical significance beyond its role as the birthplace of Henry VII.
Wire timeline
Further Excavations Planned at Welsh Cave with Ancient Hippo Remains
Archaeologists from the University of Aberdeen are set to launch a major five-year excavation project at Wogan Cavern, located within Pembroke Castle in Wales. The site, previously thought to hold little archaeological value due to Victorian-era alterations, has emerged as a significant prehistoric archive following small-scale digs between 2021 and 2024. These initial efforts uncovered abundant evidence of human and animal activity spanning over 100,000 years, including rare traces of early Homo sapiens, potential Neanderthal occupation, and hippopotamus bones dating back 120,000 years. Funded by the Calleva Foundation, the new project aims to utilize advanced scientific techniques, such as ancient DNA analysis and high-resolution dating, to study past climate change, extinct species, and human adaptation. Dr. Rob Dinnis, who directed the initial excavations, described the cave as a unique, once-in-a-lifetime discovery for British archaeology. The findings promise to provide crucial insights into how environmental shifts affected early inhabitants, ranging from hunter-gatherers post-Ice Age to earlier hominids. This initiative marks a new chapter for Pembroke Castle, enhancing its historical significance beyond its role as the birthplace of Henry VII.
The Standard