Humanity has passed a difficult evolutionary path to become such as our contemporaries from primates living on trees. It is interesting that in certain time periods several types of people lived on the earth at once, for example, the Cro-Magnon, as the researchers believe, caused the disappearance of the less developed and adapted Neanderthal man. However, some scientists believed that there were much more subspecies of people. We offer to find out who the troglodyte is and to get acquainted with some features of these people.
General view
For the first time, the hypothesis of the existence of such people was expressed by Linnaeus, he believed that the troglodytes were rude cave dwellers, for whom the following features were inherent:
- Outward resemblance to a person.
- Strongly developed hairline.
- Primitive speech.
Considering who such a troglodyte, one can catch that with its signs it very much resembles the most ancient human ancestor, Neanderthal man, however, the difference concerns the place of residence - troglodytes always lived in caves, and Neanderthals could live in them or built their own primitive dwellings.
The very hypothesis of the existence of cave primitive people could have several sources:
- Myths about satyrs.
- Information provided by travelers of past eras.
- The texts of the ancient Greek sages.
Linnaeus' theory caused much controversy and was almost immediately rejected. It should be noted that as real-life characters in the same work that provided a description of troglodyte, the phoenix bird and dragon were mentioned (in the category of paradoxical animals).
Greek sources
So, Linnaeus, introducing the term "troglodyte", relied on surviving works of Hellenic and Roman authors. What information did these primary sources contain?
- Herodotus. He talks about the mysterious inhabitants of the caves, who loved to feast on lizards and snakes, ran amazingly fast and had a strange speech.
- Strabo in his work "Geography" narrated about a certain tribe that lived near the modern Danube. It was called troglodytes, and, most likely, its inhabitants either settled in natural caves or dug themselves dugouts.
It is also known that it was the Greeks who began to call the cave inhabitants of the Berber tribe of Tunisia, who, wanting to protect themselves from the attacks of enemies, lived in stone grottoes at a considerable distance from the ground.
Rethinking the term
After Darwin substantiated his theory of evolution, the term “troglodyte” and the concept of Karl Linnaeus were rethought by the scientific community. Now under the word began to understand such ancestors of modern man:
- Differing in appearance with him.
- Not completely extinct, preserved far from civilization.
However, the researchers were not able to detect neither the people living in the cave themselves, nor the traces of their life activity, therefore the hypothesis was declared invalid.
Another insight
In the modern world, the meaning of the word “troglodyte” has acquired a different meaning and has become synonymous with the barbarian, savage, even Bigfoot - Yeti. Often this term is used to refer to some nationalities that civilization has practically not affected, in particular, these are residents of Bandiagar, Matera, and some other settlements.
Modern troglodytes
Some nationalities of our time continue to live in caves, which is why they use the term Karl Linnaeus in relation to them. Let's get acquainted with an example of such people, the Tunisians of the city of Matmata. They live in real caves - “houses” and “apartments” are hollowed out in the hill. The tradition of a "cave" way of life originates from the distant ancestors of Tunisians, Berbers, a wild tribe that lived in the territory of modern Matmata many centuries ago. The Berbers arranged their dwellings in stone grottoes, which is why they deserved the name “troglodytes” given to them by the ancient Greeks: the word translated from the language of Homer means “living in a cave”. Such a natural shelter helped to defend against invaders, because you could get into most caves only by rope ladders.
And modern troglodytes live in conditions so unusual for a civilized person rather out of habit. Many of them refused to pay tribute to the past and moved to more modern housing.
Interestingly, cave dwellers previously lived not only in the territory of modern Tunisia, but also in Ethiopia, Turkey, and some other countries.
Using caves
Those Tunisians who remained to live in caves furnished them with the latest technology, often in such dwellings there are not only televisions, but also sewers. Amazing dwellings attract the attention of tourists, so it is not surprising that amazing exotic restaurants were opened in some grottoes. And the opportunity to climb there by a rope ladder is a real adventure for a curious tourist.
Unusual inhabited grottoes became the main attraction of Matmata.
Troglodyte in mythology
Consider who is troglodyte according to the mythological understanding of the world. First of all, this is a resident of the dungeon, who decided to voluntarily leave the sunlit land and move to dark caves. The reason is unclear, but some sources indicate that the humanoid monster may have had special vision and discomfort in the light of the sun.
According to myths, representatives of the troglodyte tribe are covered with gray scales, have a powerful physique, most often growing from an adult male. They prefer to live by tribes, the key role in the management of which is played by shamans. They do not eat meat, preferring mushrooms, which they themselves grow on their underground plantations.
In the animal world
Considering who such a troglodyte, one should mention some more meanings of this word:
- A large spider living in the caves of Tasmania.
- The species of common chimpanzee also bore this name for some time.
- A small bird of the wren family, better known as the common wren.
As you can see, the word has several meanings, none of which contradict the others.
Interesting Facts
Having examined who the troglodyte is, we suggest you get acquainted with a selection of interesting facts about this inhabitant of cold caves:
- Myths tell that this creature did not turn into stone under the gaze of the Gorgon Medusa, however, the troglodyte could not look at the dangerous Medusa because of its blindness.
- Mythological sources suggest that troglodytes prefer not to live in any cave, but only in one where it is warm and humid. Favorite places are the dungeons near the thermal springs.
- There is another interesting story that Pliny the Elder tells about in his work: it was thanks to the troglodytes in ancient times that the topazes were first discovered.
So, troglodytes really exist, but not at all in the form that seemed to Karl Linnaeus. There are several understandings of this term, each of which is interesting in its own way.