Neandertal (valley) most of the limestone and dramatically changed the shape of the valley. It was during such a quarrying operation that the bones of the original Neanderthal man were found in a cave known as Kleine Feldhofer Grotte. Neither the cave nor the cliff in which the bones were located still exists. During the 19th century the valley was called "Neandershöhle" (Neander's Cave), and, after 1850, "Neanderthal". It was named after Joachim Neander, a 17th-century German pastor. "Neander" is the Greek translation of his family name "Neumann"; both names mean "new man". Neumann lived in nearby Düsseldorf and loved the valley
Lye Valley habitat. The plant and animal species of the Lye Valley fen are thought to have lived there since they colonised the spring areas after the retreat of the last ice age between eight and ten thousand years ago. The site has been studied by botanists since the 17th century and attracted particular interest in the Victorian era. More than 300 species of vascular plants have been recorded in the area, though some of them have not been found in recent years. Rare plants include grass-of-Parnassus and marsh helleborine orchid, which are on the Red List of Threatened Species compiled by