A cave in the Anuy valley where the Denisovans were first found — an extinct human species known to science from only a handful of bones and a single finger bone.
Denisova Cave
Denisova Cave sits in the right side of the Anuy river valley, six kilometres below the village of Chyorny Anuy and forty above Soloneshnoye. Horizontal, with a wide entrance twenty-eight metres above the river, it sheltered people and animals for millennia — and proved a perfect 'archive': sediments accumulated layer upon layer for tens of thousands of years. Its modern excavations brought world fame: it was here that the first fossil remains of the Denisovans were found — an extinct human species described from the genetics of a single finger bone. The cave covers 270 square metres and runs 110 metres deep; for archaeologists the key part is the entrance grotto with its oval mouth of 32 by 7 metres, a skylight in the dome and dry air all year round. The cave is easily accessible without caving skills and is popular with travellers; museum infrastructure stands nearby. In 2022 Russia submitted the cave for the UNESCO World Heritage List. The name, by one version, comes from the old believer elder Dionisy who lived here in the late eighteenth century; by another, from the herdsman Denis who sheltered in the grotto.
How to get there
From Barnaul or Biysk to Soloneshnoye, then up the Anuy to Chyorny Anuy; the cave is six kilometres below the village, by the road on the bank.
Best season
May to September: dry roads along the Anuy and full tour schedule.
Travel tips & stories
Combine it with the museum in Soloneshnoye: the cave's finds are displayed there.
It is cool inside even in summer — bring a layer.
The Karama site fifteen kilometres downstream is a story for those who want to go deeper into the Palaeolithic.
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Local guides
- TR
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