The first Neanderthals
Gibraltar holds a special place in the story of Neanderthal discovery. In 1848, the skull of a Neanderthal female was unearthed at Forbes' Quarry on the north face of the Rock of Gibraltar. This specimen, now known as Gibraltar 1, was the first adult Neanderthal cranium ever found. Its discovery occurred a full eight years before the remains in Germany's Neander Valley that would give this hominin species its name. Had the scientific community of the time understood its importance, we might speak of "Gibraltarians" instead of Neanderthals.
A second significant find occurred in 1926 at a rock shelter called Devil's Tower, close to the first site. Archaeologist Dorothy Garrod discovered the fossilized skull fragments of a Neanderthal child, approximately four or five years old. This specimen is called Gibraltar 2. Recent DNA analysis confirmed that the Forbes' Quarry adult was female and the Devil's Tower child was male. Genetic testing also revealed that the Gibraltar 1 female was more similar to older Neanderthal populations from 60,000 to 120,000 years ago than to younger Neanderthals from Spain, suggesting she belonged to an earlier population.
A coastal refuge
The eastern side of the Rock of Gibraltar contains a cluster of sea caves, part of the Gorham's Cave Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These caves, including Gorham's and Vanguard Caves, contain deep layers of archaeological deposits that document over 100,000 years of Neanderthal life. The evidence found here suggests this area was one of the last places Neanderthals survived. The most recent signs of their occupation in Gorham's Cave are dated to as recently as 28,000 to 32,000 years ago, long after they had vanished from the rest of Europe.
The ecological diversity of the area supported this long survival. The caves have yielded extensive evidence of a varied diet. Neanderthals here exploited marine resources, a behavior once thought unique to modern humans. Excavations revealed the remains of seals, dolphins, fish, and molluscs like limpets. They also hunted birds, with cut marks found on the bones of rock doves and choughs dating back 67,000 years.
The caves reveal aspects of Neanderthal intellect. In 2012, researchers discovered an abstract engraving in Gorham's Cave. The cross-hatched pattern was carved into the dolomite bedrock and sealed beneath a layer of sediment dated to over 39,000 years ago. Analysis shows the lines were deliberately made by repeatedly passing a pointed stone tool, an example of abstract expression.