Denisova Cave is a very popular place among archaeologists. Many things valuable for history were found here. By the way, they can easily change our usual ideas about the history of mankind.

At one time there was an opinion that ancient people began to settle in Altai only 50 thousand years BC. However, the finds in Denisova Cave indicate that more than one hundred thousand years have passed since the settlement of this region of Asia began. Our ancestors lived in a cave about 280 thousand years ago, and this is confirmed by the remains of a previously unknown species of people - he was given the name Homo sapiens altaiensis - Altai man, and in another way Denisov.

In total, scientists distinguish 14 layers, in which several habitat horizons can be traced. The 22nd layer reflects the culture of the Early Paleolithic, this is about 282 thousand years ago, the Middle Paleolithic belongs to layers 20 to 12, and the upper one to 9 and 11 e

About 50-45 thousand years ago. among the Denisovans, the Upper Paleolithic industry was formed - one of the brightest and most expressive in Eurasia. Considering that there was a drift of genes from Neanderthals to Eurasians, and from Denisovans to Melanesians, both of these populations took part in the formation of a modern human anatomical type.

The habitat of Homo sapiens altaiensis somehow intersected with the habitat of Neanderthals and modern humans. Scientists have found about 2.5% of Neanderthal genes in European and other peoples. Denisovans left 4-6% of personal genes in the genomes of today's Melanesians.

In addition, in this cave, the remains of animals of various species were found that once lived in these places. And today archaeological work is underway in the cave, more than 50 thousand various and very valuable exhibits have already been collected, which can be seen in the museums of Novosibirsk,Biysk, as well as in the museums of schools in the villages of Black Anui and Soloneshnoe. An archeology camp was organized near the cave by the Institute of Archeology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.

Denisova Cave rises 670 meters above sea level, has an area of 270 square meters and 110 meters in length. Tourists love to visit the grotto, which has several branches. Its upper part is notable for the fact that there is a hole through which light enters the grotto, and in winter it provides smoke draft.

Denisova Cave is a great place to hide from the weather, and it is in this capacity that people have used it for hundreds of thousands of years. There are excellent conditions for storing food, as the temperature in the cave is constantly low and dry enough.