Traces of Neanderthal settlement uncovered in northern Bohemia

Archaeologists in northern Bohemia have announced a unique discovery. While conducting a rescue excavation during the construction of an emergency services call centre, they uncovered evidence of a Neanderthal settlement, dating back between 126,000 and 115,000 years BC.

The discovery, made by archaeologists from the Museum of the Bohemian Paradise in Turnov, provides unique insights into Middle Paleolithic life. The findings, uncovered in late October and early November last year, include around forty objects that hint at a Neanderthal settlement.

Research of one of the found objects by means of a probe |Photo: Muzeum Českého ráje v Turnově

Roman Sirovátka from the museum provides more details about the find:

“We discovered pits filled with charcoal and burnt earth, which suggests they were most likely used as fireplaces. We also discovered several stone tools and the remains of shelters. We've also taken soil samples, on the basis of which we can then try to reconstruct the natural environment around the site.”

According to Mr. Sirovátka, the site is believed to have been a hunter-gatherer station used by Neanderthals. The dating is supported by the discovery of tools, such as a jasper scraper, and other small artefacts.

“The site was buried in a gravel-sand river terrace, hidden beneath a loess bank that was formed during the late Ice Age. This is why we are almost certain that the find is from the Middle Palaeolithic Era. The settlement must have been there 110,000 years ago at the latest.”

View of the surveyed area with a gravel-sand terrace on which the hunter-gatherer station was located|Photo: Muzeum Českého ráje v Turnově

This is the first open-air Neanderthal site discovered in Czechia, and possibly in all of Central Europe. Unlike previous finds, which are mostly located in caves, this settlement was uncovered in open countryside. According to Mr. Sirovátka, one reason may be that digs into the geological bedrock are not usually monitored by archaeologists.

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While the findings reveal limited details about their owners, archaeologists can piece together a picture of how these Neanderthals might have lived based on existing knowledge of their behaviour and environment, says Mr. Sirovátka:

“They were hunter-gatherers, just like the Homo Sapiens. They moved in the landscape surrounding their settlement, hunting animals and gathering berries and herbs. Whether it was a permanent settlement or just a temporary one is not clear yet. But we are pretty certain that there was a forest here at the time, which disappeared with the onset of the Ice Age. At the moment, there's nothing more that we can say based on the find.”

The next step is to dig deeper, with tests and radiocarbon dating helping to pinpoint the exact age of the objects and sediments.