A scientific study our of Spain does not refer to prehistoric cave people, but a community of Christians weho lived in manmade caves carved out of the cliffside at Las Gobas for hundreds of years. Data from burials in their cemetery are dated from the 7th to the 11th centuries, so the community was founded after the Roman Empire receded from Spain, while the Visigoths ruled. The community stayed in the caves during the Muslim conquest, and then built a small village outside the caves in the 10th century, although they kept using the cave church for another hundred years.
DNA from human remains tells a story of a small group founded by related men, in which marriages were kept within the community, leaving evidence of inbreeding. Genetic material from the bacteria and viruses they carried tell us more about where the people came from and who they encountered over time. Injuries indicate the group was no stranger to violence. Still, each discovery raises more questions. Read what science can and cannot tell us of the cave-dwellers of Las Gobas despite their lack of documentation at Ars Technica.
(Image credit: Iapmetoj)
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