Victoria Cave is a paleontological site located in the municipality of Cartagena (Spain). It is located on the southern slope of the Cabezo de San Ginés, within a calcareous massif near the Mar Menor and the eastern foothills of the Cartagena-La Unión mining mountain range. It was excavated by the Catalan paleontologist Josep Gibert i Clols.

The most significant remains of the Victoria cave are small fossils that Professor Gibert identified as human remains and that he dated in 1,200,000 years, contemporary to those of the Man of Orce of the paleontological site of Venta Micena, province of Granada.

This hypothesis was quite answered among paleontologists and was the subject of intense debate. The humanity of these remains, like those of Venta Micena, has not yet been globally accepted by the scientific community.

If it were confirmed that the Victoria cave fossils were human remains, along with those of Venta Micena would probably correspond to Homo erectus, and would, perhaps, be the first humans to pass the Strait of Gibraltar and colonize Europe.

Sources

Cueva Victoria042

Gignos Citations