Neanderthals built mysterious cave structures 175,000 years ago

Constructions discovered deep in a French cave rank among the earliest human building projects ever discovered, but their purpose remains unclear

Mysterious structures found deep inside a French cave are the work of Neanderthal builders who lived in the region more than 100,000 years before modern humans set foot in Europe.

The extraordinary constructions are made from nearly 400 stalagmites that have been yanked from the ground and stacked on top of one another to produce rudimentary walls on the damp cave floor.