Prince's Cave study could reshape Neanderthal ritual research
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
Six Spanish scientists visited Monaco in July 2026 to study the Prince's Cave at Ventimiglia, a site with rare parallels to a key Spanish Neanderthal dig.
Between 21 and 24 July 2026, six Spanish researchers travelled to Monaco to examine the Grotte du Prince, a cave property of the Sovereign Prince located just across the border at Ventimiglia. Their focus was Neanderthal ritual behaviour dating back some 40,000 years, and specifically why these early humans appeared to conduct organised practices whose purpose remains poorly understood.
The cave was chosen because it shares structural and archaeological characteristics with Cueva Des-Cubierta in Spain, currently one of the most significant Neanderthal sites under active study. The Grotte du Prince is, according to the researchers, the only known cavity outside Spain with comparable features, making it a potentially critical reference point for interpreting what was found at the Spanish site.
The questions driving the study are fundamental ones: were these Neanderthal rituals religious in nature, connected to magic, or something else entirely? By cross-referencing findings from both sites, the team hopes to move closer to an answer. For Monaco, the research adds a new dimension to a cave long known to prehistorians but rarely at the centre of international scientific attention of this kind.