According to data obtained as a result of excavations on the Crimean Peninsula, its settlement by humans began more than 300 thousand years ago. And this is not surprising, because the climate here is quite mild, and in the mountainous areas and those closest to the peaks there are almost all the conditions required for a fairly quiet human life: the presence of abundant vegetation and numerous animals, a significant number of suitable caves and drinking water. A characteristic feature of the ancient sites is that most of them were grouped in the southern part of the peninsula, in places where ancient people discovered silicon deposits.

Proof of these facts is the discovery in 1924 of the oldest site of primitive people on the territory of Crimea. It is located in the small Kiik-Koba cave near the village of Zuya on the banks of the river of the same name near the Dolgorukovskaya Yayla. The grotto was formed by weathering the rock and washing it out with groundwater at an altitude of approximately 90 meters. It is a small natural recess covered by a rocky outcrop. Well covered by thickets, the grotto is hidden among a pile of huge stones. It is interesting that in ancient times, the cave was additionally protected by a man-made wall, built by primitive people from stones collected here. It protected the inhabitants of the grotto, which consisted of 2 small halls, from the effects of cold winter winds. Excavations carried out here in the period 1924-1925 showed that human habitation inside Kiik-Koba lasted for a long time. This is confirmed by the significant thickness of the cultural layer, reaching almost 2 meters. Under the overhanging rocky ceiling, archaeologists discovered traces of ancient hearths: the lower (more ancient) layer was represented by one, and in the younger one there were three hearths at once. In addition to ash and coals, the cultural layer is represented by many animal bones obtained by ancient hunters, particles of red ocher used for tattooing bodies, and flint tools. In total, about 500 stone tools were found, presumably dating back to the Mousterian era, 100 thousand years ago.

Based on the skeletal remains of animals found in the cave, it was determined that ancient people by that time had well mastered the practice of hunting, and used various methods to hunt large and small game. To do this, they used darts (short light spears), and possibly pens with animals brought out onto cliffs. Apparently, there were other methods of hunting, because among the over 110 types of hunting trophies found, about 50 were fragments of birds. The most valuable find made in the cave was the discovery of two burials in it. It was a woman and a child. The Neanderthal woman was a respectable age for those times - about 30 years. Given the harsh living conditions of that period, her age corresponded to modern 60-year-old people. In order to carry out the burial, the ancient people even knocked out a small depression in the rocky ground, into which they placed the body of the deceased. The remains of another person were found not far from the woman. It turned out to be a one-year-old child. Scientists have proven that these are different burials made some time later, one after the other. This find glorified the leader of the expedition, Gleb Anatolyevich Bonch-Osmolovsky, and brought him worldwide fame. Why is the discovery in Kiik-Kobe so important for science and humanity? Its value lies, first of all, in the fact that it changed the attitude towards Neanderthals as people. If before that they were presented as fairly primitive creatures capable of performing strictly utilitarian functions, then the finds in Crimea completely destroyed this theory. Artifacts found in the cave confirmed a new view of ancient people. The first evidence of the high intellectual development of Neanderthals was the construction of a protective wall at the entrance to the cave. This could only be done by people capable of comprehending their actions, i.e. doing this is completely logical and reasonable. The wall protected the cave from the penetration of cold wind and predators, and covered the fire.

The variety of flint tools also indicates the level of development of ancient man. In order to invent and create them, considerable intellectual effort was needed, which is inherent only to a person who consciously strives to change the world around him to suit his needs. Thousands of bird bones and bellies found in the cave revealed another fact. By this time, in terms of food, man had already moved away from the animal, which cared primarily about itself and, partly, about its children. The Neanderthal began to show concern for his fellow tribesmen, bringing prey to the dwelling in which there were members of the tribe engaged in farming and children.

An important fact is that human burials are in a cave. Before this, among the finds of ancient people of such a significant age, there were practically no observances of such rituals. Despite the significant difference in time, the burials were made in the same style: the bodies lay on their sides, in the so-called “uterine” position, when the torso and legs were slightly bent. The only difference was that the child lay on his left side, and the woman on her right. Something similar is found at other ancient sites of primitive man in the Crimea. Apparently, by the beginning of the Mousterian era, the people of that time had developed a certain ritual, which was expressed primarily in the burials of loved ones. Previously, scientists had found only fragmentary human remains without any signs of artificial burials. A discovery of a similar level to the Kiik-Koba cave was made just 16 years earlier near the French village of Le Moustier. The French discovery gave its name to an entire human era. However, something else is striking: despite the thousands of kilometers of distance, the style of the Crimean burial almost completely coincides with the French one. This shows that already 100 thousand years ago the entire human community provided posthumous honors to its dead members, and the rituals themselves clearly bore signs of spirituality.

After our last trip to Crimea, we were once again convinced that Crimea is a magical land, full of mysteries and secrets. And even if you just decide to take a walk somewhere in the mountains for a day, you should always be prepared for surprises, both good and not so good.
Having studied a little information on the Internet and in books about the surroundings of Simferopol, we decided to take a walk from the village of Solovyovka to the Balanovsky reservoir area this weekend. Using the map we calculated the distance approximately - 4.5 km. The navigator showed the same amount. Naturally, as always, we did not take into account elevation changes, cliffs, hills and crossing the Zuya River. By the way, it is quite full-flowing and stormy at this time of year. Our faithful dog Gross, trying to cross it along the log after us, was carried away by the stream, and Obstinus was forced to literally save him and help him get out of the seething stream. In general, the distance we covered as part of the “weekend walk” was 12 km. The main goal of our journey was the site of the primitive man Kiik-Koba. We warn you right away that from the side of the Balanovsky Reservoir there is a completely passable road (even for non-drivers) that leads almost to the parking lot, so the walk from that side will be much easier. However, in this case, you will not be able to see the real Taurus burial ground - a huge number of stone Taurus boxes. He was caught just halfway from Solovyovka to Kiik-koba. Of course, our hiding place is already there. And yet, the shepherd dog Gross managed to get his paw caught in a snare, so if you are walking through the forest with a dog, be careful.
Well, now - information about the Kiik-Koba site:
“On the right bank of Zuya, 8 km south of the village of Zuya, up the valley, near the Balanovsky reservoir, the Kiik-Koba grotto is located - a world-famous Paleolithic monument (natural monument (1947)). The grotto cave is a natural canopy at the foot of a rocky slope, with an area of ​​about 50 square meters. m. The grotto faces south, with deciduous forest approaching it from all sides.
(Literature: Ena V.G. Protected landscapes of Crimea. - Simferopol: Tavria, 1989. http://www.tourism.crimea.ua/dostoprim/landscap/grot/keekkoba/index.html)

In 1924, during excavations in the Kiik-Koba grotto (Wild Cave), archaeologist GA. Bonch-Osmolovsky discovered the burial of a Neanderthal man (an adult woman) in a special hole cut into the floor in rocky ground. A meter away from her, the remains of a one-year-old child from a later burial were found. This discovery of a Neanderthal human burial is the first in the CIS and one of the few in the world. It is evidence that the person who settled in Kiik-Kobe lived here at the end of the Acheulean or beginning of the Mousterian era, that is, about 100-40 thousand years ago. More than 500 flint tools (pointed points, helical blades, blades) used about 100 thousand years ago were found here, as well as many bone remains of the extinct fauna of Crimea. Among the animals that lived at that time in the vicinity of Kiik-koba and were hunted were a mammoth, a woolly rhinoceros, a cave hyena, a wild horse, a big-horned deer, a cave bear, a wild boar, and a wild ass (jigetai)
The Kiik-Koba Grotto was formed under the influence of groundwater seepage and rock weathering. The grotto is located under the cornice of a high plateau, one of the spurs of the Dolgorukovskaya Yayla, at an altitude of about 90 meters above the mountain river Zuya. The grotto is well hidden in the forest thickets and among rocky landslides. Not far from the grotto flows a spring, which, undoubtedly, was used by ancient people.
On the living area of ​​the grotto, covered by an overhanging rocky ceiling, traces of ancient hearths have been preserved; one hearth was identified in the lower layer, and three hearths were found in the upper layer. (In the studied cave sites of Crimea, layers with traces of ancient cultures lie in stratigraphic order, that is, sequentially from bottom to top, from the most ancient to the latest. In these layers, lenses of hearths with ash and coals, many bones of animals that became hunting prey are often noticeable Neanderthals, interspersed with red ocher, used by people for body tattoos). Everywhere within the boundaries of the living area one can find chopped flint, tools, animal bones, and coals. The tools from the lower layer are more primitive than those from the upper layer.
The most ancient people of the upper layer from Kiik-Koba, apparently, had well mastered various methods of hunting large and small game. Using a dart and, possibly, fire, they widely used driven hunting on cliffs. Based on the bones found in the grotto, more than 110 species of various animals were identified, including about 50 species of birds.
The main game animals were mammoth, bison, saiga, giant and red deer, woolly rhinoceros, wild horse, wild boar, etc.
In the Kiik-Koba grotto, part of the skeleton of a woman was discovered, buried in a slightly bent position, on her side, in a hole specially hollowed out in the rocky floor. Near the woman’s burial, an almost one-year-old child was buried, also placed in a crouched, “uterine” position. Similar burials are found at other ancient sites in Crimea. Probably, the most ancient people in Crimea had already developed certain rituals during burials. It is very possible that this ritual is associated with early forms of religious ideas, with ideas of revival and reversibility. The placement of the deceased at the place of residence implied the preservation of their blood relationship with the living and reflected the absence of fear of the dead or, according to ancient ideas, those who had gone to sleep.

After our last trip to Crimea, we were once again convinced that Crimea is a magical land, full of mysteries and secrets. And even if you just decide to take a walk somewhere in the mountains for a day, you should always be prepared for surprises, both good and not so good.
Having studied a little information on the Internet and in books about the surroundings of Simferopol, we decided to take a walk from the village of Solovyovka to the Balanovsky reservoir area this weekend. Using the map we calculated the distance approximately - 4.5 km. The navigator showed the same amount. Naturally, as always, we did not take into account elevation changes, cliffs, hills and crossing the Zuya River. By the way, it is quite full-flowing and stormy at this time of year. Our faithful dog Gross, trying to cross it along the log after us, was carried away by the stream, and Obstinus was forced to literally save him and help him get out of the seething stream. In general, the distance we covered as part of the “weekend walk” was 12 km. The main goal of our journey was the site of the primitive man Kiik-Koba. We warn you right away that from the side of the Balanovsky Reservoir there is a completely passable road (even for non-drivers) that leads almost to the parking lot, so the walk from that side will be much easier. However, in this case, you will not be able to see the real Taurus burial ground - a huge number of stone Taurus boxes. He was caught just halfway from Solovyovka to Kiik-koba. Of course, our hiding place is already there. And yet, the shepherd dog Gross managed to get his paw caught in a snare, so if you are walking through the forest with a dog, be careful.
Well, now - information about the Kiik-Koba site:
“On the right bank of Zuya, 8 km south of the village of Zuya, up the valley, near the Balanovsky reservoir, the Kiik-Koba grotto is located - a world-famous Paleolithic monument (natural monument (1947)). The grotto cave is a natural canopy at the foot of a rocky slope, with an area of ​​about 50 square meters. m. The grotto faces south, with deciduous forest approaching it from all sides.
(Literature: Ena V.G. Protected landscapes of Crimea. - Simferopol: Tavria, 1989. http://www.tourism.crimea.ua/dostoprim/landscap/grot/keekkoba/index.html)

In 1924, during excavations in the Kiik-Koba grotto (Wild Cave), archaeologist GA. Bonch-Osmolovsky discovered the burial of a Neanderthal man (an adult woman) in a special hole cut into the floor in rocky ground. A meter away from her, the remains of a one-year-old child from a later burial were found. This discovery of a Neanderthal human burial is the first in the CIS and one of the few in the world. It is evidence that the person who settled in Kiik-Kobe lived here at the end of the Acheulean or beginning of the Mousterian era, that is, about 100-40 thousand years ago. More than 500 flint tools (pointed points, helical blades, blades) used about 100 thousand years ago were found here, as well as many bone remains of the extinct fauna of Crimea. Among the animals that lived at that time in the vicinity of Kiik-koba and were hunted were a mammoth, a woolly rhinoceros, a cave hyena, a wild horse, a big-horned deer, a cave bear, a wild boar, and a wild ass (jigetai)
The Kiik-Koba Grotto was formed under the influence of groundwater seepage and rock weathering. The grotto is located under the cornice of a high plateau, one of the spurs of the Dolgorukovskaya Yayla, at an altitude of about 90 meters above the mountain river Zuya. The grotto is well hidden in the forest thickets and among rocky landslides. Not far from the grotto flows a spring, which, undoubtedly, was used by ancient people.
On the living area of ​​the grotto, covered by an overhanging rocky ceiling, traces of ancient hearths have been preserved; one hearth was identified in the lower layer, and three hearths were found in the upper layer. (In the studied cave sites of Crimea, layers with traces of ancient cultures lie in stratigraphic order, that is, sequentially from bottom to top, from the most ancient to the latest. In these layers, lenses of hearths with ash and coals, many bones of animals that became hunting prey are often noticeable Neanderthals, interspersed with red ocher, used by people for body tattoos). Everywhere within the boundaries of the living area one can find chopped flint, tools, animal bones, and coals. The tools from the lower layer are more primitive than those from the upper layer.
The most ancient people of the upper layer from Kiik-Koba, apparently, had well mastered various methods of hunting large and small game. Using a dart and, possibly, fire, they widely used driven hunting on cliffs. Based on the bones found in the grotto, more than 110 species of various animals were identified, including about 50 species of birds.
The main game animals were mammoth, bison, saiga, giant and red deer, woolly rhinoceros, wild horse, wild boar, etc.
In the Kiik-Koba grotto, part of the skeleton of a woman was discovered, buried in a slightly bent position, on her side, in a hole specially hollowed out in the rocky floor. Near the woman’s burial, an almost one-year-old child was buried, also placed in a crouched, “uterine” position. Similar burials are found at other ancient sites in Crimea. Probably, the most ancient people in Crimea had already developed certain rituals during burials. It is very possible that this ritual is associated with early forms of religious ideas, with ideas of revival and reversibility. The placement of the deceased at the place of residence implied the preservation of their blood relationship with the living and reflected the absence of fear of the dead or, according to ancient ideas, those who had gone to sleep.

The fertile lands of the Crimean Peninsula were developed by man in ancient times. In Crimea there were merchant outposts of Genoa and Venice, and slender pagan temples of the Minoan Greeks. But hundreds of thousands of years before them, the majestic Crimean ridges gave shelter to the tribes of the distant ancestors of modern man - the Neanderthals, whose sites are scattered throughout the Crimea.

Kiik-Koba on the map of Crimea

Kiik-Koba Cave, like a lair of wild animals and the dwelling of primitive man

The Kiik-Koba karst grotto is carved by water and wind; they have worked for millions of years, ever since the proud peaks of the Crimean mountains rose into the sky from the depths of the sea.

"Kiik-Koba" is translated as "Wild Cave". Although the locals call her both “Goat” and “Donkey”; During the Soviet era, the grotto was called “Wolf”, which in one way or another indicates both its ancient history and the fact that in its depths the bones of long-extinct animals of the “mammoth era” were discovered - the cave bear, woolly rhinoceros, giant deer and wild horses - and those that have survived to this day, but have long left the peninsula for other habitats - the kulan, onager and saiga.

What is inside? Finds valuable to society

In this grotto there are no romantic halls, whose cyclopean vaults are lost in the gloomy heights, or mysterious galleries in which a echoing echo laughs demonically. This is just a shallow void formation in the rock with descending branching passages. The area of ​​the two halls of the grotto is only 50 square meters. m. But from under its arches there is a delightful view of the sun-drenched valley, the lush crowns of a densely leafed forest and the dazzling Crimean sky.

Discoverers of the Kiik-Koba Grotto

In 24-25 years of the last century, the famous archaeologist G. A. Bonch-Osmolovsky discovered a hole in the grotto and began studying it in detail. While conducting excavations in the Kiik-Koba grotto, the researcher discovered a significant cultural layer dating back to the Acheulean period - the period when primitive man just began to settle around the planet, leaving Africa. Bonch-Osmolovsky's findings significantly shook the scientific theories about the history of mankind that dominated the first quarter of the twentieth century. In 1947, the unique grotto was declared a natural monument and taken under state protection and protection.

The uniqueness of Kiik-Koba is that excavations on the territory of the cave overturned several scientific theories that existed at one time. The finds discovered in the grotto proved that the Crimean peninsula was inhabited by people in the Paleolithic, although until that moment it was believed that people appeared in Crimea much later. Fifty thousand stone tools for various purposes were more than 100 thousand years old and belonged to the Acheulean culture, which arose from the early Olduvai culture.

The poses in which the remains of a Neanderthal woman and her child were located from a burial found in the center of the grotto, and samples of rock paintings discovered on the walls, contrary to the prevailing theory, proved that the Neanderthals of that time already had primitive religious ideas and cult rituals.

Price issue (cost of excursion to the grotto in 2019)

The path to the Wild Cave is not easy: winding mountain paths make their way along narrow cornices over dangerous cliffs, and the secluded entrance is hidden by impassable thickets and razor-sharp rock fragments. Therefore, when going to the Kiik-Koba Grotto, it is better to join an organized tourist group or hire an experienced guide. Numerous travel agencies offer one-day walks and hikes in the mountains and foothills of Crimea, and a tour guide will indicate the shortest and safest route to the cave, tell in detail about its ancient and current history and about the amazing finds discovered in its depths.

How to get there by car

25 km from Simferopol, to the east, on the right bank of the Zuya River, flowing along the foothills of the Crimean ridge, and eight kilometers from the village of Zuya, the Kiik-Koba grotto is located. If you take a bus from Simferopol, you need to go to Kurortnoye (the bus goes through Aromatnoye, as can be seen on the map below).

Those who plan to get to the grotto from Simferopol by car can go not through Aromatnoye, but through Zuya. The road to the Kiik-Koba cave will pass through Zuya, Vishnevoye, Krasnogorye and lead directly to Kurortnoye, from where it will be most convenient to get to the approaches to the Kiik-Koba cave. If you have an SUV, you can drive close to the grotto. You will have to walk about 4-5 km from the village. The road passes through the forest. You need to go uphill. Local residents of the village of Kurortnoye will always help and show you the way to the cave.

25.09.2015

The oldest site of primitive man in Crimea. A scientific site of world significance, an ancient Paleolithic site.
Kiik-Koba is a scientific site of world significance, an ancient Paleolithic site, located in the foothills of Crimea in a grotto, on the right bank of the Zuya River, 25 km east of Simferopol, 8 km south of the village of Zuya. The grotto canopy faces south, the grotto area is about 50 square meters. m.

The name is translated from the Crimean Tatar language as “Goat Cave”, “Wild Cave” or “Wild Man’s Cave”

The site was discovered in 1924 by G.A. Bonch-Osmolovsky. This is the oldest site of primitive man in Crimea.

During excavations in 1924–1925. here were found the remains of Neanderthals (a woman and a child), about 500 flint tools used about 100 thousand years ago and characteristic of the Mousterian culture, bone remains of the extinct fauna of Crimea: a cave bear, a giant and red deer, a saiga antelope, a wild horse, a donkey and etc.

Map

Where is the Kiik-Koba Grotto located? It’s simple, look at the mark on the map, write down the address or 44°58.004′, 34°21.015′, read the directions under the map. You should definitely visit this place!

How to get to the Kiik-Koba Grotto

Russia, Republic of Crimea, .
south of the village of Zuya, not far from the Balanovsky reservoir

Photo

Kiik-Koba Grotto