Long before modern humans walked the earth, there lived in Europe another species off humans—the Neanderthals. It’s unclear exactly when Neanderthals appeared on the scene. Estimates range from 300,000 years to as far back as 800,000 years ago. Their date of extinction is also uncertain. It’s generally accepted that the Neanderthals went extinct about 40,000 years ago, but there are several isolated pockets around Europe where Neanderthals appeared to have survived for much longer. One such location is the Gorham's Cave complex. This particular location is important because it is one of the last known sites occupied by the Neanderthals in Europe.

Neanderthal family group at the entrance to a coastal cave, by Charles R. Knight (1920).