Schmerling Caves, Archaeological cave system in Flémalle, Belgium
The Schmerling Caves consist of multiple chambers located on the right bank of Awirs stream, with the upper cave measuring 17 meters in depth.
Philippe-Charles Schmerling discovered the first Neanderthal fossils in these caves during 1829, including a partial cranium of a young child aged 30,000 to 70,000 years.
The caves contain significant bone collections of ancient humans, bears, hyenas, and rhinoceroses, along with early tools made from silex materials.
The lower cave called Trô Cwaheur has collapsed, while a third cave was destroyed due to operations at the adjacent Ancienne Carrière des Awirs quarry.
A stone bust monument erected in 1989 near the caves commemorates Philippe-Charles Schmerling's groundbreaking paleontological discoveries in the region.
Location: Flémalle
GPS coordinates: 50.59220,5.40889
Latest update: May 27, 2025 17:41
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