Southern Italy's 150,000-year-old Neanderthal mystery. Unearthing the Altamura man
The fossilized bones have been ensconced in an Altamura cave for eons. The first traces of bone were discovered as early as 1993; however, it's only now that scientists have reached the sinkhole's bottom, where the Neanderthal rests eternally.
9:58 PM EST, January 15, 2024
Research is complicated by the harsh conditions within the cave. To access the bones, a complex tunnel system must be navigated. The descent to the repose of the Altamura man requires approximately 20 minutes.
The Neanderthal can't be removed from the sinkhole. His bones merged with the karst cave chamber's walls, into which he fell 150,000 years ago and from which he failed to escape.
This man endured tremendous suffering, dying from hunger and thirst. Scientists are determined to resolve his fate. However, this task appears highly challenging.
Challenging Access to the Neanderthal Skeleton
To reach the Neanderthal, I had to rappel down with my colleagues. Upon seeing the skeleton, I was astounded. It was an incredible experience," reveals Prof. Jacopo Moggi-Cecchi from the University of Florence, as quoted by LAD Bible.
The scientist illustrates how prehistoric man might have stumbled into the shaft.
Most likely, he didn't notice a hole in the ground and fell into the shaft, which doesn't exist anymore. He sat there until his death. His complete skeleton is encrusted with sedimentary deposits. We are certain that no animal could have killed him," further expounds the Italian professor.
Italian experts hope they will someday extract the Neanderthal skeleton for a thorough examination. Until now, they've established that it belonged to an adult but not an elderly individual. The Neanderthal lacked a full set of teeth, a fact that presents an intriguing discovery.
