HISTORY this new species had become known as Neanderthal Man, that the Gibraltar skull’s characteristics identified it as being of the same species. In the meantime the circumstances of the Gibraltar find had been forgotten and the skull taken to Britain for further study. It is now on display in the British Museum in England along with subsequent discoveries. Well over 100 Neanderthals have been uncovered worldwide including a child’s skull found in Forbes’ Quarry Cave in 1926. Gorham’s Cave, on the south side of the Rock has been the site of numerous archeological expeditions and many implements of bone, flint and other materials related to the Neanderthals have been uncovered. Replicas of the skulls, and finds from Gorham’s Cave are on display in the Gibraltar Museum.
Both Greek and Roman mythology tell the tale of the Labours of Hercules, which had him opening a waterway by splitting apart what is now Europe and Africa and creating the Straits of Gibraltar. Hence Mons Calpe is one of the Pillars of Hercules with the other being Mons Abyla, a hill east of Ceuta. The Roman name lives on, most notably in the coat of arms of Gibraltar which was presented to the people of Gibraltar by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand in the early 1500’s. Much later the official Royal college of Heralds added the words Montis Insignis Calpe in the scroll at the base of the shield on the coat of arms.
Mons Calpe The Romans christened Gibraltar ‘Mons Calpe’ in reference to the numerous caves permeating the Rock. They had a base at Carteia, which had been a Phoenician colony west of Gibraltar and they left evidence of The Pillars of Hercules appear in their presence here. Greek and Roman mythology
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