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
Geisel valley Geisel valley The Geisel valley () is a valley in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, situated west of Merseburg, Saalekreis district. It is named after the River Geisel which rises in Mücheln and is a tributary of the Saale, just under long. Its main settlements are Braunsbedra and Mücheln, which in future will merge into the 'collective municipality' of "Geiseltal". The Geisel valley was quarried for coal from 1698 until the mines were closed in 1994; The mining of brown coal is first attested for 1698 near the Zöbigker grove, but is most likely to be older. Initially only twelve smaller pits emerged