Scientists have confirmed that 'Altamura Man', a partially preserved fossil discovered in a cave in Italy, is a Neanderthal whose bones date back 128,000 to 187,000 years.
Altamura Man was discovered in a cave in southern Italy in 1993. The remains, with only the head and part of a shoulder visible, were found embedded in rock and covered in a thick layer of calcite.
It was thought that excavating the remains would cause irreparable damage and thus, they have remained in situ for over 20 years, leaving researchers to rely on casual observation for their studies.
It was believed that the remains were that of an archaic Neanderthal, of a Homo genus believed to have been widespread in Europe 200,000 to 40,000 years ago.
Researchers in the new study began their work six years ago. The team extracted a tiny part of shoulder bone (and stalactite fragments) and brought it back to the lab for study.
Analysis by uranium-thorium dating revealed that the calcite was formed 172,000 to 130,000 years ago - during the penultimate quaternary glaciations period.
The team in the study, published in the Journal of Human Evolution, also reported that they were able to retrieve DNA samples.
The samples represent the oldest ever recovered from Neanderthal remains, researchers said.
It is believed that Altamura Man wound up in such a peculiar spot after falling in a well and getting stuck - it is assumed he starved to death, or died from lack of water intake.
