Grotte du Bichon, Archaeological cave in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
Grotte du Bichon is a limestone cave situated above the Doubs River at 846 meters elevation, about 5 kilometers north of La Chaux-de-Fonds in the Swiss Jura. The interior contains multiple chambers that served as excavation sites and now display information panels explaining the archaeological discoveries.
Archaeologists explored the cave in 1956, discovering remains of a young hunter-gatherer from the Azilian period alongside flint tools and bones of a brown bear. This find provided key insights into human settlement patterns in the region during prehistoric times.
The site is recognized locally as a window into how early communities lived within the Jura mountains. Visitors experience a tangible connection to prehistoric hunters and their relationship with this landscape.
Access is via marked hiking trails that wind through the Jura landscape toward the cave entrance. Wear sturdy walking shoes and check weather conditions beforehand, as mountain paths vary seasonally in terrain and difficulty.
Genetic analysis of the skeletal remains discovered here allowed researchers to trace migration patterns of early human populations across the region. This scientific work made the site a key source for understanding how prehistoric people moved through the Alpine area.
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