Shearpoint Cave

The Shearpoint Cave Discovery

On June 20th, 1924 the Saunders siblings, Kelli and Harald, were walking their hunting dog Rin Tin Tin on their family's property when he bolted after a spotted marshhen. The siblings saw their dog dive into the hen's burrow as he attempted to pull out the bird. They attempted to pull the hound out by the tail when the soil beneath them gave way. They arose, dazed but fine, in a sinkhole which revealed the presence of an enormous cave. After climbing out of the sinkhole and alerting their parents about the cave, their parents Byron and Lucretia Saunders went to investigate. 

Only 50 feet from the sinkhole entrance were clear signs of inhabitation such as spearpoints, cut animal bones, wispy fragments of animal pelts, middens, and a fire pit. The Saunders family quickly went to the nearby town of Shearpoint and sent a telegram out to the archeological department of the University of Canterbury in order to determine if the artifacts were from Viardrmen or Norse settlers. Upon reaching the cave, researchers quickly ruled out Viardrmen or Norse origin. The spearpoints were too primitive, and instead resembled the stone tools found in Clovis, New Mexico. Another oddity was the presence of a large walrus tusk and even more surprising a collection of mammoth molars. By 1924, Mossfell walrus were only endemic to Gasmensyi. Additionally, they did not have the characteristically large tusks of their artic relatives. The mammoth teeth would later be accompanied by a the greater portion of a femur demonstrating butcher cuts. This was surprising to the researchers as until then no mammoth fossils had been found on the archipelago. The Shearpoint people (called that due to the location of their discovery on Shearpoint Hill) were likely paleo-americans which had settled the islands during the ice age. These stunning discoveries began nearly 100 years of research into the pre-Norse people of the Mossfells. However, the cave would hold some darker secrets until 1988.

Secrets of the Cave

In 1988, an expedition jointly held by Princeton University and Canterbury University detected an opening to another chamber on the southwestern wall of the sinkhole cavern. Excavation of several tons of rock revealed a gigantic opening. What initially surprised the researchers wasn't the immense size of the cave, but the horrific sight before them. The floor was littered in human remains. Some remains were in such a remarkable state of preservation, that their hair, skin, and clothing was still preserved. Due to the amazing preservation of the site, the disturbing discovery was heralded by the archeological world as a "Neolithic Pompeii".  Later analysis of the remains revealed the presence of severe joint bruising and extreme trauma to fingers seen in the majority of individuals. Injuries such as Lisfranc fractures and basilar skull fractures were also common. Forensic analysis points to a cave-in causing mass panic and carbon dioxide asphyxiation as the likely cause of death for the 204 individuals in the cave.

Of the 204 remains 90 were adult females, 63 were adult males, and 51 were adolescents. Based on molar, cranial, and innominate age analysis, the oldest individual trapped in the cave was 77 years old. There was a high amount of elderly individuals (>50 years) found in the cave, with 18 females and 12 males. This demonstrated that the Shearpoint people not only cared for their elderly, but had the means to keep them healthy. In particular the eldest individual, nicknamed "Cave Nonna", suffered from severe osteoarthritis on both her knees, and likely did not have the ability to walk. The youngest individual found was an infant of roughly 1 month. Adolescents did not present with many skeletal abnormalities such as rickets nor teeth abnormalities. The high percentage of healthy adolescents (25%) indicates that the population was quickly growing and likely very well fed at the time of the disaster.

Beyond the remains, other incredible discoveries including the Shearpoint Cave petroglyph wall. This wall contains images of animals hunted by the Shearpoint people, as well as depictions of the islands, deities, and hand marks. The most famous of these is the Creation Wall. A remarkable example of Neolithic art, it has been dubbed as such because of its quasi-religious aspects. The Creation Wall stretches nearly 30 feet in length and is 10 feet in height. Its imposing size reinforcing its likely importance to the Shearpoint people.  

To the left of the  Creation Wall is a depiction of several animals found on the Mossfells during the time of the Shearpoint people including artic walrus, a duo of diminutive woolly mammoths, a titan solenopanther, lesser cockatrice, and a Megalonyx with its offspring. In the center it depicts an androgynous figure with both male and female characteristics holding an item in their hand. Beneath the figure, three humanoids raise their arms in exaltation. Because of it's central position and size, it is likely that this was considered an ancestor or deity to the Shearpoint peoples. To the right of the figure, the islands themselves are depicted, one with a large red flow from the top (likely representing modern Mossfellheim). Beneath the islands are two rectangular etchings likely representing boats, and a large wave. Furthest to right is another skeletal figure. This figure menacingly reaches upwards. On top of the skeletal petroglyph, several handprints were applied. It is uncertain what this signified to the Shearpoint people (whether this was an act of veneration or defiance toward the skeletal figure). 

The Cave Today

Today the cave is kept sealed and is under joint stewardship of the Smithsonian institution and Canterbury University. Because of the various excavations held in the cave, the cave's internal environment has been altered. An increase of humidity has resulted in the decay of many of the exquisitely preserved remains. As a result, only research teams are allowed to enter the cave and it has been hermetically sealed to prevent further degradation.

Several hardier artifacts such as animal bone fragments, Clovis points, and stone carvings from the site are able to be seen at the Museum of Natural History in Canterbury, Delaware. Much like the famed Chauvet Cave, researchers have been able to create high-fidelity replicas of the cave art using advanced 3D computer mapping. As of March 10th, 2020 the museum has featured a 1:1 replica of the Creation Wall. Installations such as these have helped us understand and respect this people, once forgotten by the passage of time.