The discovery that changed the known history. What age is and how the oldest construction raised by the man's hand looks

A cave in Greece, inhabited by people 130,000 years ago, changes the known history. In this incredible site, the specialists discovered the traces of the first construction made by hominids, in an age when this was considered almost impossible.

Theopetra cave in Thessalia Photo Wikipedia

For a long time it has been believed that the oldest structure raised by the human hand is 9000 years old. These are the mysterious structures of Gobekli Tepe, a rocky area of ​​today's Turkey. It was probably a temple of the populations of hunters-curator in Asia Mică, which made the transition to the great agrarian civilizations of the Neolithic. Previous, paleolithic, homo sapiens or Neanderthal populations have not been credited with the ability to raise structures, build in an organized way and especially to think engineering the space where they lived.

It is all about occupying caves and primitive arrangements in the form of extremely simple shelters in skins, tree cracks or other vegetable materials. Until 2010, when an incredible discovery, in the lands of the Meteora monasteries, would change history and what I knew about the ability of ancient hominid populations.

Old Salt of mammal hunters in the monastery land

Meteora is a rocky formation in the Trikala region, the historical land of Thessalia, in the northwest of Greece. Meteora is known for her Orthodox monasteries, being considered the second center in spiritual importance after Mount Athos. In this land of monasteries, in a limestone mass near the village Theopetra there is a cave of special archaeological importance. Theopetra cave has been inhabited by human beings for 135,000 years ago. Specifically, it was the hall of some mammoth hunters of the Neanderthal man, a new hominid and whose genes, through constant mating, keep them to this day.

This limestone massif was ideal for the Neanderthal man. Nearby flows the Lethaios river, a tributary of the Pineios River. So they had an important source of water. Later, the cave offered good protection against cold winds but also wild animals. The Neanderthal man was famous for his skill in the hunting of mega-fauna, that is, mammoth, prehistoric rhino, megaloceros (a huge species of deer) and other creatures in the middle paleolithic.

The wide opening of the cave caused the natural light to penetrate plenty and provide the necessary ventilation. Geologists say that the limestone rock in which it was naturally dug, the cave formed 137 million years ago, most likely during the higher Cretaceous period.

Traces of uninterrupted habitation for over 124,000 years

Archaeological research began in the Theopetra cave in 1987 and continued until 2007, in various archaeological excavations coordinated by Professor Nina Kyparissi-Apostolika, director of the Paleontology and washie Eforate. First of all, the research has revealed an absolutely amazing thing. This cave was inhabited uninterrupted for about 124,000 years. That is, from the middle paleolithic until the end of the Neolithic period.

In addition, traces of use of the cave were discovered, either for ritual purposes, or as a temporary shelter, probably in times of restraint, even from the Bronze Age to the modern era. Even in 1987, when archaeological research began, the cavern was used by Greek shepherds as a temporary shelter for sheep flocks. The oldest inhabitants of the cave, say archaeologists, were Neanderthal people.

The best evidence is the few traces of foot printed in the “floor” of the cave. Experts say that these traces are about 135,000 years old and were left by children of Neanderthal man while playing. In this cave, the Neanderthal man lived much of his story on the territories of Greece today. Here he brought his hunt, here he fed, here he created extremely well-made stone tools, and here he has overcome stories in a totally unknown language in the light of the fires.

Avgi, Facial Reconstruction Photo Oscar Nilsson/Smithsonian Mag

Their inheritance remained in the many artifacts discovered in the cave, especially stone and bones of hunted animals. Neanderthal people, after their disappearance about 40,000 years ago, followed the tribes of hunters and collectors of the species homo sapiens, ie today. They took their place on the scale of evolution, but also in the Theopetra Cave. They had similar habits, hunted, gathered, eviscerated, fed and sheltered. Unlike their predecessors, they were more agile, better adapted and more creative, more artistic. Their hunting tools and weapons were lighter and developed for faster and smaller prey. And they left behind many objects that testify about their existence.

Avgi, the girl in the cave

In the cave they also left Avgi. It is about the skeleton of a young girl, discovered by archaeologists buried in the cave. They nicknamed her. Studies show that he was only 18 years old and lived about 9000 years ago, in the Theopetra Cave. It is certainly not known what was the cause of death. It is certain that her tribe, during the transition period from the Paleolithic to Neolithic, deposited it in a corner of the huge cave, about 500 square meters.

The oldest human construction in history

Probably the most fascinating discovery in the Theopetra cave is a wall built by the human hand. And not in the Bronze Age, not in the Middle Ages. Not even in Neolithic. Much earlier than anyone could have imagined. That is, as shown by the dating procedures by optically stimulated light, 23,000 years ago. We are talking about the period of the upper Paleolithic when the human communities lived from hunting, fishing and harvest, with a nomadic or seminoomad life, depending on the migration routes of the great herbivores. Prior to 2010, when this anthropic wall was discovered, no other structure of such complexity is known, raised by the paleolithic man.

The traces of the wall of theopetra photo ancient-origers.net

Experts say it is the oldest structure ever built by the human hand, the oldest engineering project. It is surprising as this wall involved an organized, planned and well -calculated work. The wall, made of well -appropriate stones, almost tight, and “glued” with clay, thermally insulated part of the cave. The structure has been raised in such a way as to prevent the cold winds from reaching the cave but also preserves the heat from the inside.

This discovery changes many of what I knew about the capacity of the paleolithic man and the question arises whether the tribes of hunters-cups were underestimated in their ability to arrange their housing environment. Most likely, the Theopetra cave was a winter shelter of the paleolithic tribes of Neanderthal and then by Homo Sapiens.