Museum to mark 100 years since Flint’s discovery with lectures, books and conference

The Gibraltar National Museum will mark 100 years since the discovery in 1926 of the Neanderthal child skull now known as Flint with a year-long programme of events, new displays, publications and a milestone Calpe Conference in September.

The skull, excavated by Dorothy Garrod from Devil’s Tower Cave, was the second Neanderthal skull to be found in Gibraltar and belonged to a four-year-old boy. A forensic reconstruction carried out for the museum by Dutch specialists Kennis and Kennis has helped make Flint a familiar figure, particularly for schoolchildren visiting the museum.

The Calpe Conference will take place in Gibraltar from September 1 to 6 and will bring together major researchers and speakers in the field of human evolution, with a particular focus on Neanderthals. They will present the latest findings and use the event to reflect on how understanding of these ancient humans has changed in recent years, with work carried out in Gibraltar described as critical in reshaping views of Neanderthal cognitive capacities.

This year also marks the tenth anniversary of the inscription of the Gorham’s Cave Complex on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the first and only time that a site in Gibraltar has received that level of international recognition. The complex is the only World Heritage Site exclusively dedicated to Neanderthals, and its anniversary will be woven into the wider centenary theme.

A series of events is being organised for the year, with details to be released in the coming months. These will include a special themed museum open day on May 9 and a specific focus on the date of the discovery itself, June 11. A new set of displays is also expected at the museum.

The commemoration of the inscription of the Gorham’s Cave Complex will be marked during the Calpe Conference, ensuring an international as well as local audience for the anniversary.

A special book on the discovery of the skull and its historical background, “Dorothy Garrod and the Devil’s Tower Skull”, written by Dr Alex Menez of the Gibraltar National Museum, will be released during the year. A children’s story book, “Flint wants to play”, written by Professor Geraldine Finlayson, will also be published.

To launch the centenary activities, a four-part public lecture series has been arranged, focusing on different aspects of Neanderthals with particular reference to work conducted in Gibraltar. The lectures, delivered by members of the museum team, will be held at the John Mackintosh Hall, are free of charge and open to all.

On Thursday February 19 at 6pm in the Charles Hunt Room at the John Mackintosh Hall, Professor Clive Finlayson will speak on “Neanderthals and Hyaenas – Exploring the Natural History of the First Gibraltarians”.

On Tuesday March 17 at 6pm in the Charles Hunt Room at the John Mackintosh Hall, Professor Geraldine Finlayson will deliver a lecture titled “Neanderthals – Behaviour, Culture, and Emerging Humanity”.

On Wednesday April 8 at 6pm in the Charles Hunt Room at the John Mackintosh Hall, Dr Alex Menez will speak on “Dorothy Garrod and the Devil’s Tower Skull”.

On Thursday May 7 at 6pm in the Charles Hunt Room at the John Mackintosh Hall, Dr Stewart Finlayson will present “The Last Neanderthal – The World Through Flint’s Eyes”.

The Minister for Heritage, Dr John Cortes, said: “It is fitting that we should mark the hundredth anniversary of the discovery of these Neanderthal remains and celebrate the extraordinary work that has been done since then by the team from the Gibraltar National Museum and their associates. I am very much looking forward to what they have in store for us this significant year.”