ROME -- Italian archaeologists have uncovered the fossilized remains of nine Neanderthals in a cave near Rome.
The Italian Culture Ministry announced the discovery and said Saturday that it confirmed the Guattari Cave in San Felice Circeo was “one of the most significant places in the world for the history of Neanderthals.”
The discovery includes skulls, skull fragments, two teeth, and other bone fragments.
The Culture Ministry says the oldest fossil dates from between 100,000 and 90,000 years ago, while the other eight Neanderthals are believed to from 50,000 to 68,000 years ago.
An anthropologist says the large number of remains suggest a significant population and “the first human society of which we can speak.”
