Research To Begin On Prehistoric Man Trapped In Cave

July 16, 2008

Altamura Man is a prehistoric human being that lays encrusted like a piece of coral in an underground cavern in southern Italy.

How he ended up there is still a mystery. Most likely, he fell down, wasn’t able to get out, and died of starvation right in the cave.

Discovered by a group of speleologists in 1993, Altamura Man is one of the oldest complete skeletons of a European.

Obviously, the finding has a huge potential when it comes to research. However, the cave's remoteness and the fossil's condition have meant that since the discovery, Altamura Man has remained undisturbed.

Now Italian authorities have announced that an in-depth research on the prehistoric creature is about to begin.

“We are going to radiocarbon dating the remains. Then, the research will concentrate on DNA mapping,” Ruggiero Martines, the regional cultural heritage superintendent, said.

The first results are expected by the end of the year. Meanwhile, you can just click here to find out more about the prehistoric man.

Or you can embark on a virtual exploration of the cave thanks to this quicktime video by Progetto Sarastro