Schmerling Caves

Schmerling Caves form a modest but scientifically remarkable group of karst caves on the right bank of the Awirs stream, near the village of Awirs, within the municipality of Flémalle in Wallonia, Belgium. Though the site itself offers little in the way of visitor infrastructure today, it played a pivotal role in the early history of human paleontology.

Where does the name come from?

The caves take their name from Philippe-Charles Schmerling, a Belgian physician and naturalist who carried out excavations here in 1829. His findings would only be fully understood decades later, once the broader scientific community had the context to recognize their significance.

What was found in the lower cave?

In the lower cave, known also as Trô Cwaheur or Trou Caheur, Schmerling uncovered the remains of two individuals. One of them, now referred to as Engis 2, turned out to be a Neanderthal fossil — in fact, it is regarded as the very first Neanderthal fossil ever discovered anywhere, even though its true nature wasn't recognized at the time. The other set of remains belonged to a Neolithic Homo sapiens. The presence of two individuals from such different periods of prehistory at a single site makes Schmerling Caves an unusually significant location for the study of human evolution in Europe.

What happened to the caves?

The fate of the different caves in this complex varied considerably. The lower cave, site of the most important discovery, has since collapsed and is no longer accessible in its original form. A third cave in the group was destroyed entirely due to quarrying operations at the adjacent site, the Ancienne Carrière des Awirs (Former Awirs Quarry). While this industrial activity damaged part of the site, the quarrying also indirectly exposed geological layers that drew the attention of nineteenth-century researchers in the first place.

Why does this site matter to science?

The importance of Schmerling Caves extends well beyond local history in Flémalle. The discovery of Engis 2 predates the very coining of the term "Neanderthal" — full recognition of what Schmerling had found only came after later discoveries in the Neander Valley in Germany in the mid-nineteenth century. Today, archaeologists and paleoanthropologists widely regard Schmerling's excavations as pioneering work in the study of human origins, even though, at the time, he lacked the methodological tools and scientific context to grasp the full weight of what he had unearthed.

Frequently asked questions

Can Schmerling Caves be visited today? Because the lower cave has collapsed and a third cave was destroyed by quarrying, the site today holds mainly historical and scientific value rather than being a developed tourist attraction.

Who was Philippe-Charles Schmerling? He was a Belgian physician and naturalist who conducted excavations in this area in 1829, uncovering remains that would later prove fundamental to understanding human prehistory.

What is Engis 2? It's the name given to the Neanderthal remains found by Schmerling in the lower cave — considered the first Neanderthal fossil ever discovered anywhere in the world.

Where exactly are the caves located? In the municipality of Flémalle, in the Wallonia region of Belgium, on the right bank of the Awirs stream, close to the village of Awirs.