One of the most spectacular known cave networks in the world is the Saint-Marcel Cave in France. The entrance area has been occupied by humans for millennia, dating back to the Middle Palaeolithic.

But there’s a lot more to it than the entrance. The cave extends for at least 64 kilometers (40 miles), a twisting, convoluted cavity bored through Earth’s crust.

Deep in the cave, across a hazardous path including deep pits, they have found broken stalagmites more than 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) past the entrance, suggesting the presence of humans – around 8,000 years ago.

Even by today’s standards, which include safety gear, sophisticated equipment, and powerful lighting, the pits in the path are considered hazardous. This raises the question: how did ancient humans access the site, and get back out again?