Noisetier Cave facts for kids
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Grotte du Noisetier
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location in the Upper Pyrenees
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 Location in Midi-Pyrénées
Location in France
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| Alternative name | Grotte de Peyrère, Grotte de Serrat de la Toue |
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| Location | Vallée d'Aure, Ardengost commune near Fréchet-Aure village, Lannemezan town |
| Region | Occitania, Pyrenees, France |
| Coordinates | 42°55′40″N 0°22′14″E / 42.92778°N 0.37056°E |
| Type | Jurassic limestone |
| Length | 20 m (65.62 ft) |
| History | |
| Material | limestone Karst |
| Periods | Upper Palaeolithic |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1987, 1992, 2004 |
| Archaeologists | Michel Allard, V. Mourre, S. Costamagno, C. Thiébaut |
The Noisetier Cave (also known as Grotte du Noisetier, which means "Hazel Cave" in French) is a famous cave in the Pyrenees mountains of Southern France. It got its name from the hazelnut trees growing near its entrance. This cave is a very important archaeological site.
Since 1992, scientists have been digging here. They have found stone tools and other items made by Neanderthals. These findings help us learn about how Neanderthals lived a long, long time ago. They also found many animal bones, which tell us about the animals that lived there too.
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Exploring Noisetier Cave
The Noisetier Cave is located high up on a mountain. It sits about 145 meters (476 feet) above the Vallée d'Aure in a place called Ardengost. The cave is at an elevation of 825 meters (2,707 feet) above sea level. It looks out over the Neste d'Aure river valley.
The cave itself is like a long tunnel. It is about 20 meters (66 feet) long. Inside, it is between 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) wide and 3 to 6 meters (10 to 20 feet) high. The entrance faces south, letting in some sunlight.
How the Cave Formed
The Noisetier Cave is carved into very old limestone rock. This rock is part of the Pyrenees mountains. Scientists found tiny fossils of sea creatures and plants in the limestone. These fossils helped them figure out that the rock formed about 300 million years ago!
The limestone is a type of rock that dissolves slowly over time. This process is called karst formation. It creates caves, sinkholes, and other cool features. That's how the Noisetier Cave was made.
Digging Up the Past
People first thought there might be ancient human remains in the cave back in 1898. But serious work didn't start until 1985. That's when a cave explorer named E. Casteret told archaeologists about it.
In 1987, the first official survey happened. Then, in 1992 and 1993, more detailed digs took place. These digs found many layers of soil with stone tools and animal bones. These items were from the Mousterian culture, which was made by Neanderthals. To protect these important finds, a strong gate was put at the cave entrance.
Scientists first thought the cave was just a temporary hunting camp. They believed Neanderthals only visited to hunt mountain animals like chamois and ibex. But new discoveries in 2004 changed this idea. For example, they found teeth from young Neanderthal children. This suggests that families, not just hunters, might have used the cave.
Dating Ancient Finds
Scientists use a method called Carbon-14 dating to find out how old things are. This method showed that the archaeological layers in Noisetier Cave are between 30,000 and 50,000 years old.
Other clues, like the types of tiny animals found, also help with dating. These clues suggest that the cave was used during a warmer period between two ice ages. This period is known as the Oxygen Isotope Stage 3.
Neanderthal Tools
The stone tools found in Noisetier Cave were often made from local rocks. These include quartzite, lydite, and schist. These rocks were found in the nearby Neste river. The tools made from these materials were simple and sometimes not perfectly shaped.
However, flint was also found in the cave. Flint is a much better material for making sharp tools. But flint doesn't naturally occur near the cave. This means the Neanderthals had to bring it from far away. Some flint came from Montagaillard, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) away. Other flint, with special fossils in it, came from even further, over 100 kilometers (62 miles) away! This shows that Neanderthals traveled or traded over long distances.
The tools were mostly scrapers and denticulates (tools with jagged edges). They were often made using a method called discoid bifacial breakdown. Scientists also found tools made with the Levallois technique. This was a more advanced way of shaping stone into flakes for tools. They even found a rare two-sided cleaver.
Ancient Animals
Noisetier Cave has given us more than 10,000 fossils of large animals. Plus, there are over 80,000 tiny rodent bones! Most of the large animal fossils are from mountain species. These include chamois and ibex. There are also bones from deer and large bovines (like wild cattle).
Scientists also found bones from carnivores, which are meat-eating animals. These include cave bears, red foxes, leopards, and dholes (a type of wild dog).
What the Bones Tell Us
By studying the bones, scientists can figure out who was eating what. They look for cut marks from human tools or bite marks from animals. Many deer and bovine bones show signs of being butchered by Neanderthals. This means Neanderthals hunted these animals for food. Some bones also show signs that carnivores scavenged them later.
The study of chamois bones showed something interesting. Many of these bones had marks from bearded vultures. This suggests that these large birds might have used the cave when Neanderthals were not there. Dhole teeth and bones were also common. The presence of dhole milk teeth suggests that dholes might have raised their young in the cave.
Tiny Clues from Small Animals
The many tiny rodent bones found in the cave are very important. They help scientists understand the climate of the past. These small animals are very sensitive to changes in temperature and environment.
Scientists identified over 80,000 rodent remains. They found species like the European water vole and the Pyrenean desman. The types of rodents found confirmed that the climate during the time the cave was used was warmer, like an interglacial period. Some of these species are now only found in specific areas, showing that the Pyrenees mountains acted as a safe place for them to survive.
Neanderthal Children
One of the most exciting discoveries at the site was three Neanderthal teeth. These teeth belonged to a child between 5 and 10 years old. They were found in the same area and at the same level. This means they likely belonged to the same individual.
The presence of a child's teeth is very important. It suggests that Noisetier Cave was not just a hunting camp for adult males. It might have been a place where Neanderthal families lived, even if only for a short time.
What Was the Cave Used For?
Scientists are still trying to understand why Neanderthals used Noisetier Cave. Mountains can be tough places to live, with big changes in weather. So, why would Neanderthals choose to spend time there?
The idea that it was just a hunting camp for mountain animals is now questioned. Neanderthals seemed to hunt deer more often, even though deer are not typical mountain animals. And finding the child's teeth means it wasn't just adult hunters.
So, the exact purpose of the cave is still a mystery. It might have been a temporary home, a stopping point on a journey, or a place to find special rocks. Scientists continue to research, hoping to find more answers about the Neanderthal life in the Pyrenees.
