A tooth of a cave lion was discovered during excavations and research of the cave dwelling “Chaya” near Chepelare, announced Marin Gospodinov, director of the Rhodope Karst Museum in Chepelare. According to him, this is an extremely valuable and very rare find for Bulgaria, and for the Rhodopes – the only one. An exact dating of the find cannot be done at this stage, but it is certainly more than a hundred thousand years old, added Gospodinov, quoted by BTA.
In his words, the found tooth of a cave lion adds an interesting fact that such a predator was found in the territory of the Rhodopes at this altitude.
The lion's tooth was found during the final phase of excavations at the cave dwelling this summer, as research deepened. It is about a long-extinct species of cave lions that inhabited the territory of Europe and Bulgaria from 370,000 years ago to about 14,000 years ago, the director of the museum specifies. He explains that sometimes there is evidence that cave lions are found up to the 1st century on our and Greek territory, but the find from the cave near Chepelare is much earlier.
Expectations of finding evidence of earlier habitation of the cave were not confirmed, but the team came across a large amount of findings indicating habitation by prehistoric animals. We have found a large amount of bone material in these layers, it is very likely that after processing more parts of this animal will come out, explains Marin Gospodinov. A large amount of cave bear material was also discovered during the survey this summer.
The research and excavations of the cave dwelling “Chaya“ are held for the fourth year in a row with funding provided by the Municipality of Chepelare. A bone tool and two amulets from the period 11-10 BC. were found during excavation of the archaeological layers earlier in the summer. The lion's tooth and all the finds will be exhibited in the Rhodope Karst Museum next year.