Carlos Solis
Neanderthals started painting cave walls long before Homo sapiens—at least 64,000 years ago, and possibly earlier.
Just a century ago, scientists found it hard to believe that Homo sapiens during the Upper Paleolithic era (45,000–12,000 years ago) could engage in artistic expression. However, the discovery of ancient cave art in Europe soon dispelled those doubts. But what about the Neanderthals—a group closely related to our species? Now we know they also had a penchant for art.
Anthropologists have long been intrigued by the cognitive abilities and behavior of Neanderthals, who went extinct around 40,000 years ago. The question of whether they created works of art has been central to that debate, as reported by Live Science.
What Did Scientists Discover?
Researchers already knew Neanderthals made jewelry and used pigments. Despite that, many scientists remained skeptical that Neanderthals left intentional images on cave walls.
Recent studies have definitively confirmed that they did, says Paul Pettitt, a professor of archaeology at Durham University (UK). In three Spanish caves—La Pasiega, Maltaviejo, and Ardales—Neanderthals produced linear symbols, geometric shapes, and handprints in pigment. In the La Roche-Cotard cave in France, they left behind a variety of lines and figures.
One particularly striking find is deep inside the Bruniquel cave in southwestern France. There, Neanderthals broke stalactites into equal-length sections and built a large oval structure that bears traces of fire. Pettitt argues this was not a living space but something else entirely. If it were shown in a contemporary art gallery today, many viewers would likely call it an installation.
All these convincing examples of cave art in Spain and France have changed how scientists see Neanderthals as makers of art. Still, studying these works is complicated by the difficulty of accurately dating Paleolithic cave art.
Art created by Neanderthals on the wall of the cave in La Roche-Cotard, France
Challenges in Dating
To determine the true age of the images, researchers need at least one of several conditions. The first is pigment mixed with charcoal, which can be dated with radiocarbon methods. But many black pigments come from minerals such as manganese, so radiocarbon dating isn’t possible for those samples.
The second condition is the presence of calcite formations over the artwork. In that case, scientists use a uranium-decay dating method. That technique can accurately determine when the calcite formed, and therefore provide a minimum age for the paintings beneath it.
Pettitt was part of a team that dated calcite deposits over red pigment in the three Spanish caves using this method. The results show the artwork is at least 64,000 years old (a minimum age; the actual age could be older).
That date is about 22,000 years earlier than when Homo sapiens are thought to have appeared on the Iberian Peninsula, so the creators of these images were very likely Neanderthals.
“Even the most ardent skeptics must agree that this data clearly indicates the presence of artistic activity in deep caves, which could only have been carried out by Neanderthals,” Pettitt said. He suggests the art may reflect Neanderthals becoming aware of their place in the world.
