A Neanderthal child’s gaze once rested upon this very spot. Welcome to Devil’s Tower Cave. Here within these imposing limestone walls a fascinating story unfolds. This narrow fissure a mere meter wide and just over ten meters high served as a shelter for Neanderthals thousands of years ago. Imagine them seeking refuge from the elements. They weren’t just passing through. Archaeological evidence including tools and animal bones shows they lived here. They cooked their meals here too. Burnt bone and charcoal were found.
Devil’s Tower Cave’s discovery is almost as intriguing as its inhabitants. Colonel William Willoughby Cole Verner an English ornithologist and the renowned French prehistorian L’Abbe Breuil stumbled upon it in 1911. Initially they noticed the breccias. They couldn’t fully excavate it at the time. A military policeman interrupted their initial explorations. They needed a pass from the Governor to continue their work. They returned later. Their later efforts uncovered more Neanderthal artifacts.
The most significant find however arrived a few years later. In 1925 Dorothy Garrod of Cambridge University excavated the cave. Her discovery changed everything. She unearthed Gibraltar 2 a Neanderthal child’s skull. This skull Gibraltar 2 revealed the cave’s importance. It’s a remarkable reminder of our shared past. This Neanderthal child lived and perhaps died here at Devil’s Tower Cave.
The cave’s proximity to Forbes’ Quarry Cave is also noteworthy. Forbes’ Quarry Cave yielded Gibraltar 1 the first adult Neanderthal skull ever discovered. Devil’s Tower Cave and Forbes’ Quarry Cave together provide invaluable insights into Neanderthal life in Gibraltar. The caves sit nine meters above sea level on a rocky outcrop. The cave’s location provided shelter. It also offered access to resources. The Neanderthals of Gibraltar left their mark on this place. Their presence echoes here. The echoes are of a people who lived and died within these walls.
In 2018 Gibraltar’s Heritage and Antiquities Act officially recognized Devil’s Tower Cave. It is now a protected site. The cave’s story continues. It’s a testament to the enduring legacy of Neanderthals. Their existence and their lives. Devil’s Tower Cave stands as a window into a distant past. It’s a chilling reminder of those who lived long before us. We can only wonder at their lives. At their history.