Mystery surrounds cave skull with stalagmite growing through it

unexplained-mysteries.com ^ | 08/25/2025 | T.K. Randall

[BenLurkin]

Discovered within the darkness of Petralona Cave, this remarkable skull - which belongs to an archaic species of human - is notable for the fact that it has a stalagmite growing directly through it.

Initially found in 1960 and often referred to as "Petralona Man", this intriguing specimen has long left paleoanthropologist's scratching their heads.

A recent study has concluded that it is neither Neanderthal nor human, leaving a question mark over exactly which species of archaic human ancestor it actually belonged to.

The 'Petralona Man' skull. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 Nadina

The skull is also now believed to date back at least 300,000 years, possibly longer depending on exactly how long the stalagmite growing through it took to form.

[dljordan]

“Looks like he got hit by a “Thagomizer”!”

That cartoon was hilarious.

[Mr. Lucky]

Jerks generally issue responses in capital letters.

[Candor7]

Not a stalagmite.ITS A HORN.

This was likely one of the bad guys.

[Tunehead54]

Luckily I’ve got a good imagination. Heh. ;-)

[alancarp]

"We're gonna need to take this back to the Jeffersonian"

[GingisK]

Was it to mock people who believe the world is 6,000 years old?

Well, that would be appropriate since all physical evidence is contrary to that number.

[SkyDancer]

And people like you like to sign into websites like this in order to provoke the regular people here. So in small letters,that you can understand, you are a keyboard warrior jerk who just likes to insight controversy which is your only intellectual meaning to life . Enjoy it.

[SkyDancer]

Nope. Just to point out a fact of what some people believe.

[vpintheak]

You need to widen your search parameters then.

[Vaquero]

Give em hell sky jockey

[Vaquero]

Give em hell sky jockey

[Tacrolimus1mg]

“Site cannot be reached”

Aw.

[Dat]

So, it was in fact to mock?

[SunkenCiv]

The rest of the related keywords, sorted:

• Greece's Petralona Cave Skull May Date Back 500,000 Years, New Study Suggests [08/20/2025]
• Study finds Australian caves are up to 500,000 years older than we thought, and it could explain a megafauna mystery [09/27/2022]
• Droughts in the sixth century paved the way for Islam [06/19/2022]
• Cave stalagmites show that flooding destroyed Liangzhu City: How an ancient Chinese culture met its end [12/12/2021]
• A Shocking Find in a Neanderthal Cave in France ( inhabited 176,000 years ago ) [09/29/2020]
• Cave records provide clues to climate change [09/26/2007]
• Climate Cycles in China as Revealed by a Stalagmite from Buddha Cave(Journal Review) [07/08/2003]

[skr]

Lol!

[GingisK]

Right back at ya!

[SunkenCiv]

Throw one of those lizards on the grille, we’ll cook up some sleesteaks!

[SkyDancer]

No. Just an informational

[Mr. Lucky]

See, don’t you feel much better employing more conventional rules of communication?

[Allegra]

You rang?