100,000-Year-Old Neanderthals ‘Killed By Hyenas’ Discovered In Italian Cave

The remains of Neanderthals thought to have been killed by hyenas have been discovered in a cave in Italy.

Archaeologists in Italy discovered the remains of nine people, thought to have been Neanderthals, which date back as far as 100,000 years.

Discovered in the prehistoric Guattari Cave in the coastal town of San Felice Circeo, south-east of Rome, archaeologists identified skull fragments and broken jaw bones.

Neanderthals were close relatives to homo sapiens, and share some of the same DNA to this day.

As to how the Neanderthals died, Mario Rolfo, a professor of archaeology at Tor Vergata University, believes it was a result of hyena attacks.

Neanderthals were prey for these animals. Hyenas hunted them, especially the most vulnerable, like sick or elderly individuals.

He added that it’s likely the animals then dragged the Neanderthals to their cave, where they’d meet their undeniably gruesome death.

Rolfo further described the discovery as ‘a spectacular find’. Neanderthal remains were first discovered in the Guattari Cave in 1939, but no other similar remains have been found since.

Italy’s culture minister, Dario Franceschini, added, ‘It is an extraordinary discovery that the whole world will talk about. These findings will help to enrich studies on Neanderthals.’

Explaining how the fossils have lasted as long as they had, Rolfo said, ‘A collapse, perhaps caused by an earthquake, sealed this cave for more than 60,000 years, thereby preserving the remains left inside for tens of thousands of years.’

The Guattari Cave has since been dubbed as ‘one of the most significant places in the world for the history of Neanderthal man’, BBC News reports.