14 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A secret chamber has been found in the famous Gorham Cave Complex

A cave chamber sealed off by sand for some 40,000 years has been discovered in Vanguard Cave inside the Gorham’s Cave Complex.

The cave was originally explored in 1997, and a study was launched in 2012 to see whether there were any tunnels or chambers that had been obliterated by later silt. Archaeologists from the Gibraltar National Museum uncovered a huge room at the far back of Vanguard Cave a few weeks ago, nine years later.

The complex, which is located on the eastern side of the Rock of Gibraltar, is made up of numerous caverns, including Vanguard Cave, Hyaena Cave, and Bennett’s Cave.

This cave chamber is a discovery that could reveal more about the Neanderthals living in the area at that time. Neanderthals and modern people have lived in the Gorham cave complex for thousands of years, leaving behind fossils, tools, evidence of bonfires, the remains of slaughtered animals, and even early artworks in the form of scratches.

According to the statement from the Gorhamcave website, a Preliminary investigation has revealed a 13-meter chamber on the very roof of the cave. This chamber had been sealed for at least 40 thousand years.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Archaeological investigations at Vanguard Cave will continue, as will the search for burial sites within the cave complex.
Archaeological investigations at Vanguard Cave will continue, as will the search for burial sites within the cave complex. Photo:Gibraltar National Museum

Initial surface finds have produced remains of lynx, hyaena, and Griffon Vulture as well as scratch marks on the walls, produced by a carnivore as yet to be identified. There is also a large whelk which must have been transported up to the chamber which, even today, is well away from the coast. There is also evidence of ancient earthquakes.

Speaking to the Guardian, Clive Finlayson, director of the Gibraltar National Museum said it was “almost like discovering the tomb of Tutankhamun” when he and his colleagues ventured into “a space that no one’s been into for 40,000 years.” To which he added: “It’s quite sobering, really.”

Finlayson stated that there was a sea shell, specifically a large dog whelk shell especially a large shark shell, and that the cave was 20 meters above the sea, “so clearly somebody took it up there some time before 40,000 years ago.” The shell is “already a hint that people have been up there,” he said.

Commenting on the discovery, Minister John Cortes said: “these are exciting finds that open a new chapter of our rich history. Knowing Vanguard cave well, I often wondered what might lie behind the sands. Now we are beginning to get the first glimpse”. The work in this chamber will now continue with the prospect of exciting finds that have remained sealed for over 40 thousand years.

Scientists have speculated that this cave system may have been one of the last places Neanderthals lived before they went extinct around 40,000 years ago. Future discoveries could shed new light on the Neanderthals, a group of humans that became extinct about 40,000 years ago, and possibly as much as 32,000 years ago.

Related Articles

An 1800-year-old geometric patterned mosaic was discovered in Turkey’s ancient city of Bergama

17 June 2022

17 June 2022

During excavations surrounding the Red Basilica at Pergamon, an ancient city in western Turkey that is a UNESCO World Heritage...

The Rock Tombs Found by Chance in the Al-Hamidiyah Necropolis

12 May 2021

12 May 2021

A series of rock tombs carved into the slope of a mountain have been discovered in the Al-Hamidiyah necropolis on...

Mendik Tepe: A Neolithic Discovery That Could Rewrite History Before Göbekli Tepe

29 August 2025

29 August 2025

Archaeologists working at Mendik Tepe, a prehistoric mound in southeastern Türkiye, are unearthing evidence that may date earlier than the...

Turkey to Present 12 Historic Artifacts to Istanbul Patriarch

10 August 2021

10 August 2021

The government said on Monday that Turkey will deliver stolen icons from ancient local churches to Istanbul’s Fener Greek Patriarch...

1,600-Year-Old Tomb of First Maya King Discovered in Caracol, Belize

11 July 2025

11 July 2025

Archaeologists have unearthed the 1,600-Year-Old Tomb of First Maya King at Caracol, Belize, marking one of the most significant Maya...

“Cardiff’s earliest house” unearthed during an archaeological dig may shed light on the city’s earliest inhabitants

15 July 2022

15 July 2022

Archaeological excavation in a city park in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, has uncovered what is believed to be the...

Excavations in Poland uncover Goth graves filled with ornate jewellery

17 August 2023

17 August 2023

A 2,000-year-old Goth burial site filled with ancient jewels has been discovered in Wda Landscape Park (Wdecki Park Krajobrazowy) near...

2,000-Year-Old Artifacts Found at Swat’s Butkara Site in Pakistan, Including Coins and Kharosthi Inscriptions

14 February 2025

14 February 2025

Excavations at the Butkara Stupa, located near Mingora in Swat, Pakistan, have uncovered significant findings, including two-thousand-year-old coins, pottery, and...

Venice of the Pacific: The mysterious Micronesian ruins of Nan Madol

12 July 2022

12 July 2022

Sometimes art and architecture challenge our perceptions of what was formerly thought to be feasible and what our forefathers were...

2,000-year-old Celtic hoard of gold ‘rainbow cups’ discovered in northeastern Germany

13 January 2022

13 January 2022

Archaeologists have found an ancient Celtic coins treasure consisting of 41 gold coins in a field in Brandenburg, a state...

Archaeologists in Israel are restoring the largest Roman Basilica in the country

6 June 2021

6 June 2021

Archaeologists in Israel are trying to rebuild a 2,000-year-old Roman-era basilica that is thought to be the country’s biggest. A...

Sicilian Seas Yield Rare Roman Helmet from 241 BC Naval Clash

5 September 2025

5 September 2025

In a remarkable underwater archaeological recovery that highlights Sicily’s rich cultural heritage, a bronze Montefortino‐type helmet was retrieved from the...

Archaeologists have unearthed a stone chest containing the ritual deposit of 15 anthropomorphic figurines

1 September 2023

1 September 2023

Archaeologists have unearthed a stone chest containing the ritual deposit of 15 anthropomorphic figurines that were placed as votive offerings...

A monumental Etruscan tomb discovered in the necropolis of San Giuliano, north of Rome

25 February 2024

25 February 2024

After years of work, archaeologists discovered an impressive Etruscan tomb partially hidden underground in the rock-cut necropolis of San Giuliano...

The Oldest and Most Unique Example of the ‘Etrarchic Embracement Motif’ is on Display for the First Time

19 September 2024

19 September 2024

A relief depicting two Roman emperors’ embrace of Diocletian and Maximian during a ceremonial event, each other welcomes visitors for...