An underground site beneath a medieval castle is now drawing attention for reasons far older than the fortress above it. In Wogan Cavern, researchers have already uncovered rare traces of early humans and animals, including a hippopotamus that roamed Wales about 120, 000 years ago. What makes the discovery striking is not only its age, but the range of periods it appears to preserve. A new five-year exploration led by the University of Aberdeen could turn the cave into one of Britain’s most important prehistoric records.
Why Wogan Cavern matters now
The immediate significance lies in scale and preservation. Small excavations between 2021 and 2024 found evidence of human and animal activity spanning more than 100, 000 years, with bones, stone tools, and intact sediments still in place. That matters because the cave had long been assumed to hold little archaeological value. Instead, researchers now describe it as an enormous and unusually rich archive beneath Pembroke Castle, one that could clarify how people lived through changing climates and environments over very long timescales.
The project’s timing also matters. Funding has now been secured for a larger archaeological effort, allowing specialists to move beyond limited digs and test whether the site can reveal a continuous sequence of human occupation. The research goal is not modest: archaeologists want to learn about hunter-gatherers after the last Ice Age, Britain’s earliest Homo sapiens, and possibly earlier traces linked to Neanderthals. In practical terms, wogan cavern has shifted from a local curiosity to a potentially national reference point for deep prehistory.
What the early digs already revealed
The finds so far are unusual for both their variety and their condition. Researchers have identified remains from mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, reindeer, wild horse, and hippo, alongside stone tools and evidence of human occupation from multiple periods. The hippo bones are especially important because they probably date to the last interglacial period, around 120, 000 years ago. That places the cave’s environmental record far beyond the medieval history of the castle above it.
Just as important is the fact that the cave sediments remain largely intact. That means the site may preserve overlapping layers of evidence rather than isolated finds. In archaeological terms, that can help establish sequence, timing, and context. It may also support high-resolution dating and the recovery of ancient DNA from both bones and sediments, opening a deeper look at ecosystems and extinct species as well as the humans who shared the landscape with them.
Expert views on a rare prehistoric archive
Dr Rob Dinnis, who directed the initial excavations and will lead the new project at the University of Aberdeen, said the site is unlike anything else in Britain. He called it a “truly remarkable site” and a “once in a lifetime discovery. ” His assessment is grounded in the evidence already recovered: extremely rare signs of early Homo sapiens, possible earlier human occupation likely linked to Neanderthals, and animal remains that stretch the timeline back to a much warmer period in Wales.
Professor Kate Britton, a specialist in science-based archaeology at the University of Aberdeen, emphasized the technical value of the cave. She said Wogan Cavern offers a unique chance to use the scientific methods now available to archaeologists. Because the bones are well preserved, she said, researchers can learn a great deal about past environments and ecosystems and conduct high-resolution scientific dating. Pilot studies have also shown that ancient DNA is preserved in the bones and the cave sediments.
That combination of preservation and variety is what sets the site apart. It is not simply that Wogan Cavern contains old material; it is that it may contain a sequence of human and animal presence that can be read across several climatic shifts. For archaeologists, that is the difference between isolated evidence and a long historical record.
Regional impact and the bigger historical picture
Pembroke Castle is already a major visitor site, and the cave sits within a setting known for medieval heritage. But the archaeological implications reach well beyond the castle walls. The new work, supported by the Pembroke Castle Trust, is also tied to plans to keep finds curated in Pembroke, linking research with local stewardship. That creates a rare opportunity: a prehistoric archive beneath one of Wales’ best-known historic landmarks.
More broadly, the cave could help sharpen understanding of how humans adapted to environmental change over more than 100, 000 years. If the larger excavation confirms a sequence from Neanderthal traces to early Homo sapiens and later hunter-gatherer activity, it would place wogan cavern among the most consequential prehistoric sites in Britain. The key question now is whether the next phase of digging will reveal continuity, interruption, or a far more complex story than the early discoveries have already suggested.
