Published in: Helsingin Sanomat, 27th of August, 2004

 - THE PAST OF HUMAN SETTLEMENT IS BEING DISCOVERED IN THE WOLF CAVE

- THE NEANDERTHALS WERE LIVING IN THE CAVE 130 000 YEARS AGO

- The quiet humming of the compressor is greeting a visitor in the wolf cave. The stony path about a kilometer long turns downwards and there it is, behind a huge rock. Four researchers are scratching the walls of the cave, near the entrance. It's this spot, that is believed to be the place from where the Neanderthals searched shelter and protection from the weather and kept their campfire. 

- The investigations are almost over for this year and the dish brushes and dustpans are in heavy use. Every stone is being examined very closely. The investigations of the secrets that the cave near Karijoki and Kristiinankaupunki keeps inside, have been carried out for seven years. The team of six researchers have scratched stones and earth for six weeks. First they started from the outside of the cave, going down some 1,5 meters and the last weeks they've been digging in the cave, near the entrance. Eighth layer has been discovered and marked during this summer.

- The wolf cave is the only place in Scandinavia where there has been evidence that the Neanderthals that were predecessors for the present day humans, have lived in the cave. Some two hundred items have been found from the cave and evidence that there has been a campfire inside the cave. This settlement has been timed to 120 000 to 130 000 years back into history. According to one of the researchers, finding bones from the cave would be like winning in the lottery. This however is now just a dream, at least for this year. Bones do not preserve very well in the ground which acidity is quite high. According to the researcher, there might be some spot in the ground, where there has been no oxygen and thus creating a pocket, where even bones might have survived this long. A burned bones survive much better and even a this kind of discovery would tell a lot. According to the measurements done by the geologist, there's a two other caves, but the entrances to these caves has partly collapsed and are now filled with soil. 

- Second one of these caves opens from the right side of the main cave and descends downwards. The archeologists might not find anything interesting from there, but for the geologists it's a very interesting. It's not impossible that even an earlier signs from human beings might be discovered from the cave, perhaps going back even a 300 000 years. The research project which has a funding now for three years, might give a lot new information. The funds total 240 000 euros and according to the director, this funding is sufficent. There has been some ideas to build a Ice Age center near the wolf cave and the director isn't knocking out this kind of idea, as it most likely would not disturb too much the work of the archeologists. The research might be presented to the public by covering the findings with a perspex glass. During the next summer, the research of the main cave continues and the researchers are also trying to advance to one of the other caves too, which according to some estimates, might be even bigger than the main cave.

BACKGROUND:

- The wolf cave is the only known place in Scandinavia, where the Neanderthals have lived. This discovery might give an idea, that there must be other evidence from the time before the ice age. The wolf cave is a very special target for the museum office.

- It might be possible that there could be evidence in Sweden too from Neanderthals. So far, there hasn't been any discoveries made in Sweden and it might be possible that there will be none, as the water after the ice age, might have swept away everything.

- This current research is a result from a private citizens. A owner of a earthmoving company found the cave and brought archeologists to the place for fifteen years. Only after this long period, the researchers got interested about the place and the investigations started. Now the researchers think the wolf cave as a very lucky find. This discovery has been also noticed in the Europe. The closest places where there is evidence from the Neanderthals, is Northern-Germany. In Europe, there's a very many settlement places of the Neanderthals.