An archaeological find has emerged in Poland, at a place called Jaskinia Raj or nicknamed Heaven’s Cave, a prominent archaeological site in the Świętokrzyskie region. Researchers have discovered hundreds of prehistoric animal bones, including the remains of cave lions and mammoths, making the cave one of the most important sites in the country.
The Paradise Cave, about which little was known, was the focus of recent research by Małgorzata Kot of the Faculty of Archeology of the University of Warsaw. Although research was carried out in the 1960s after the discovery of this cave, there has been no further research in decades.
“What was discovered then was a large number of animal bones and traces of Neanderthals who had visited https://www.atrbpnkabserang.com/ this place at least twice,” Kot said. “Since then, nothing has happened in terms of research. However, over 60 years, laboratory methods have developed so much that we will be able to say more about the findings and the history of this place,” he continued.
The cave has provided a fascinating glimpse into the prehistoric past, including finds such as bones of bears, cave lions, mammoths, and deer antler fragments. In fact, researchers have documented around 200 large, well-preserved bones in recent days.
As part of this research project, the team plans to analyze climate and environmental changes in southern Poland from about 60,000 to 14,500 years ago. It is hoped that this research will provide insight into human settlement strategies during this period.
“We can now assess that not only Neanderthals but also modern humans lived in Raj Cave. This has never been recorded before,” said Kot.
Heaven’s Cave Was Formed About 360 Million
Even though the excavation area only reaches a few square meters, the discoveries that have been revealed are very encouraging for researchers. The process of collecting and cleaning soil samples is underway at the European Center for Geological Education, promising more information about the history of the cave.
Additionally, the research team was interested in testing hypotheses surrounding the use of deer antlers by Neanderthals. “According to the hypothesis, Neanderthals used the collected antlers to create barricades and protection for cave doors. We will try to verify whether this is possible,” said Kot.
Heaven’s Cave was formed about 360 million years ago in limestone rock that was once on the bottom of a shallow sea. The presence of around 47,000 stalactites in this cave is monumental evidence of extraordinary time and geological evolution.
Ongoing research at Paradise Cave will hopefully provide new insights into Polish history and human development in the region. As excavations continue, the hope is that the cave will continue to uncover still-unrevealed secrets of the past.
Ancient Elephant Graveyard 5.5 Million Years Old
A team of researchers and volunteers at the Florida Natural History Museum discovered an ancient ‘elephant graveyard’ containing the fossilized remains of a long-extinct ancestor of modern-day pachyderms. This discovery could also provide the largest animal specimen ever found in Florida, United States. About 5.5 million years ago, a number of gomphotheres, extinct ancestors of elephants, died in or around a now-vanished prehistoric river in northern Florida. Although the animals likely died at different times, several hundred years apart, their bodies remained stored in the same location where they were ‘buried’ until early 2022.
At that time, the team discovered part of a gomphothere skeleton at the Montbrook fossil excavation site. A number of fragments and isolated bones were discovered at the site in the past, so there is no reason to ignore this site. A few days later, volunteers discovered what looked like a large foot. Later work revealed that the find was a gomphothere body part. Soon after, they discovered the entire skeleton, and it was a very exciting discovery for the team.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery. This is the most complete gomphothere skeleton from this time period in Florida and among the best in North America,” said Jonathan Bloch, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Natural History Museum, quoted from IFL Science.
The animal is not alone. Ultimately, the team discovered the entire skeletons of one adult individual and at least seven juveniles. More in-depth research is needed before the team can accurately determine the animal’s size. But Bloch believes the adult specimen was about 2.4 meters tall including the tusks, and the skull measured more than 2.7 meters. To give you an idea, this animal was about the size of a modern African elephant. So far, the find is a record for a local gomphothere specimen.
“Modern elephants travel in herds and can be very protective of their calves,” explains Rachel Narducci, manager of vertebrate paleontology collections at the Florida Museum. “But I don’t think this is a situation where they all died at once. It seems like members of one or more of the herds were trapped in this one place at different times,” he explained.
“We’ve never seen anything like this at Montbrook. Typically, we only find one piece of a skeleton at this site. The gomphotheres must have buried quickly, or they may have gotten stuck in a bend in the river with reduced flow,” Narducci added.
Gomphotheres, along with modern elephants, are collectively called proboscidea. Relatives of elephants were once abundant across most continents until humans arrived, and gomphotheres are one of the most diverse.
These large mammals have a very long place in the fossil record, spanning more than 20 million years. They first appeared in Africa, then spread throughout Europe and Asia, eventually crossing the Bering Land Bridge into North America. During this time, they developed a variety of unique features that allowed them to survive wherever they settled.