In the depths of the French caves Neanderthals discovered Stonehenge – Lenta.ru

In the depths Bryunikel caves in southwestern France, in total darkness, they found unusual patterns – circles of stalagmites, some of which were broken off, and built like a stockade. This discovery was made in the early 1990s, but now scientists have found that ring built Neanderthals. These “primitive” people, as it turned out, were able to create complex constructions in artificial light even 175 thousand years ago. On the discovery is reported in the journal Nature.

At a depth of 330 meters found arranged in a certain way a handful of stones and two wide rings (about 2.2 and 6.7 meters in diameter). And heap, and the rings are made up of about 400 stalagmites of the same size. Their specially splitting so as to achieve the desired length – so some stalagmites chipped and the tip and the lower part of the

rings size and precise location of the stones leave no doubt in the fact that these structures -. Business people hands instead of bears, to arrange a rookery. Using radiocarbon dating techniques, researchers found that the ring having 175-177 thousand years ago. Since the ancestors of modern humans had not yet moved out of Africa, the ring could be constructed only Neanderthals.

So far, scientists have not found a “workshop” where stalagmites fought off the tips. However, the main mystery is the function of these structures. Judging from the charred stones and a piece of bone, the ancient inhabitants of the cave there is kindled a fire, and then prepared the food (or sacrifices). Scientists admit that the rings of stalagmites to perform religious or ceremonial function, acting prototype of Stonehenge.

This finding is the first clear dated evidence that Neanderthals could build complex structures. It is likely that similar structures (made of wood, bone or animal skins made of wood, bone or animal skins), they built not only in the caves, but they should be long gone.