Ancient hippo found in Welsh castle cave

 The bones of a hippopotamus that roamed Britain 120,000 years ago have been found in a Welsh cave.

The University of Aberdeen has been awarded funding to lead a five-year exploration of Wogan Cavern, at Pembroke Castle, which holds remarkable evidence of ancient humans as well as important animal remains.

The enormous cave, accessed down a spiral staircase, was thought to have been emptied of archaeological treasures by Victorian diggers.

But small‑scale excavations between 2021 and 2024 uncovered evidence of human and animal visits from over 100,000 years ago, with much of the cave’s sediment remaining intact.

Researchers have said this means it is rapidly emerging as one of the most important ancient archives in Britain.

Dr Rob Dinnis, who directed the initial excavations, will lead the project for the university. He said: “Despite the limited work done so far, we can already say that the cavern is a truly remarkable site.

“There is no other site like it in Britain. We are optimistic that the cave can chart a long sequence of human activity, from hunter-gatherers living there immediately after the last Ice Age around 11,500 years ago, back to Britain’s earliest Homo sapiens between 45,000 and 35,000 years ago, and maybe also earlier traces likely left by Neanderthals.

“We have also found hippo bones, which probably date to the last interglacial period around 120,000 years ago.

“The site could therefore tell us about how multiple changes in climate and environment affected people living there over 100,000 years or more.

“Not only is there extremely rare evidence for early Homo sapiens, there are also hints at even earlier human occupation, probably by Neanderthals. 

“With this new project, we can learn a great deal about our early prehistoric forebears, about how they lived and what their worlds looked like.”

‘Excited to learn as much as possible’

The researchers said larger-scale excavations could provide insights into past climate change, extinct species and the multiple periods during which humans called the cave their home.

The project, funded by the Calleva Foundation, will see researchers from the University of Aberdeen join forces with other leading specialists from across Britain and Europe.

Prof Kate Britton, a specialist in science-based archaeology at Aberdeen, said: “Wogan Cavern provides a unique chance to use all the scientific techniques now available to archaeologists.

“Because the bones are well preserved, we can learn a lot about past environments and ecosystems, and do high-resolution scientific dating. Furthermore, pilot studies have shown that ancient DNA is preserved in both the bones and the cave sediments.

“The project’s team of specialists are excited to learn as much as possible about the cave and its early inhabitants – animal and human – in the coming years.”