Mezmaiskaya cave, Archaeological cave in Apsheronsky District, Russia.

Mezmaiskaya cave opens as a tall, narrow recess in a pale rock band on the cliff face, above the Sukhoi Kurdzhips valley. Inside, the entrance reaches about 10 m high and 15 m wide, and the cave runs roughly 35 m deep. Within a few tens of metres of the entrance the floor changes from rock to clay.

Systematic excavations began in 1987, revealing layers of occupation spanning different periods of human habitation. The site shows evidence of both Middle and Upper Paleolithic peoples living here across thousands of years.

The discovery of a complete Neanderthal infant skeleton in Layer 3 represents the youngest Neanderthal remains ever found in archaeological research.

Access requires preparation as you must navigate through varying passages and interior conditions are damp and uneven. Proper clothing and lighting are essential to move safely through the different sections.

The infant skeleton Mezmaiskaya 1, about two weeks old, is the youngest Neanderthal ever recovered and one of the most complete Neanderthal skeletons of any age. Calcite cementation encased the bones and held them in place, and the lack of scavenger marks suggests deliberate burial. It is the only Russian specimen included in the Neanderthal Genome Project.