Ancient cave, hippo bones found under castle: "Once-in-a-lifetime discovery"

World Hidden cave, prehistoric hippo bones found under Welsh castle called a "once-in-a-lifetime discovery" April 17, 2026 / 7:35 AM EDT / CBS/AFP Add CBS News on Google A prehistoric hidden cave and hippo bones found beneath a  Welsh castle could transform understanding of ancient life in Britain, researchers said Thursday, calling the site a "once-in-a-lifetime discovery."Previous small-scale excavations at Pembroke Castle – the birthplace of Henry Tudor and a popular tourist attraction – have already uncovered evidence of early humans and animals, including a now extinct hippopotamus that roamed Wales 120,000 years ago.A major five-year archaeological project led by the University of Aberdeen will investigate the "enormous" cave, accessed via a spiral staircase from the 11th Century castle."There is no other site like it in Britain -- it is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery," said Rob Dinnis, who will lead the project.  The cave, previously thought to have been emptied by the Victorians, is now described as "one of the most important prehistoric archives in Britain." Excavations at Pembroke Castle. University of Aberdeen "Despite the limited work done so far, we can already say that Wogan Cavern is a truly remarkable site," Dinnis said in a statement. "Not only is there extremely rare evidence for early Homo sapiens, there are also hints at even earlier human occupation, probably by Neanderthals.""We have also found hippo bones, which probably date to the last interglacial period, around 120,000 years ago," he added.Earlier finds have revealed bones of mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, reindeer and wild horse, alongside stone tools and evidence of human occupation across multiple periods. "Bones of mammoth and reindeer have been found alongside stone tools left behind by some of the earliest Homo sapiens ever to occupy Britain," the castle said in a statement. A woolly rhino molar found at Pembroke Castle University of Aberdeen With larger-scale exca...