Goat's Hair Twin Caves facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Goat's Hair Twin Caves |
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One of the caves
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| Access | Mediterranean Steps |
The Goat's Hair Twin Caves are two interesting caves found in Gibraltar, which is a British Overseas Territory. They are called "twin caves" because they are located right next to each other.
About the Caves
These two caves are located high up on the eastern side of Gibraltar. They are about 190 meters (or 623 feet) above the sea. You can find them about 30 meters (or 98 feet) above the path that leads to Martin's Cave.
Both caves have big entrances that look like triangles. They were formed over a very long time by natural cracks in the rock. You can also see signs that the sea has helped shape them.
Why the Name "Goat's Hair"?
The caves are known as the Goat's Hair Twin Caves because they were once a shelter for goatherds in the 1800s. Goatherds are people who look after goats. Because goats stayed there, a lot of goat hair was found stuck to the cave walls.
The original name for these caves was Sewell's Fig Tree Caves. This name came from Captain Sewell. He also discovered another cave, which is now often called Cave S or Sewell's Cave.
Early Explorations
In 1867, Captain Brome explored these caves. He was a well-known explorer of caves in Gibraltar at that time. He also did some digging inside them.
Later, in November 1969, a group called the Gibraltar Cave Research Group started a big excavation. This group was led by George Palao. They dug out a lot of the soil and other materials from one of the caves. They kept digging until June 1970, when they reached the very bottom of the cave.
Exciting Discoveries
During these excavations, something very special was found. On the northern wall of one of the caves, they discovered what seemed to be a "prehistoric ceremonial burial." This means it was a burial from a very long time ago, possibly part of a special ceremony.
Inside the burial, they found a human skeleton. It was identified as a female. Around the skeleton, there were various items. These included pottery vessels, which are like ancient pots. They also found bone pendants, which are decorative items made from bone. There were also flint blades, which are sharp tools made from stone, and armlets and anklets, which are ornaments worn on the arms and ankles.
There are descriptions of this excavation and what was found. However, there is no record that these items were ever placed in the Gibraltar Museum. This means that these important pieces of Gibraltar's history are currently missing.
