#PrehistoricArt

A dramatic new find from Spain suggests a Neanderthal may have intentionally created art using a single ochre-stained touch. The discovery challenges long-standing ideas about when and by whom symbolic thinking and artistic expression began. The study appears in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences and strengthens the view that Neanderthals shared complex cognitive abilities with modern humans.

An eight-inch pebble of quartz-rich granite, excavated in 2022 from a central Spanish rock shelter, lies at the center of the claim. Researchers estimate the pebble is about 42,000 to 43,000 years old. It bears curved forms that resemble a face, and crucially, a vivid red dot placed precisely where the “nose” would be. Forensic analysis by Spanish authorities identified the mark as an ochre fingerprint deliberately applied by a Neanderthal finger, not a random scratch.

New research from Spain has revealed a striking find: a Neanderthal may have intentionally created a piece of art with just a single, ochre-marked touch, rewriting long-held assumptions about human and Neanderthal creativity. The discovery, outlined in a new study published in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, elevates the prehistoric record and deepens our understanding of the Neanderthal mind AOL News.

At the center of this revelation is an 8-inch-long quartz-rich granite pebble, excavated in 2022 from a rock shelter in central Spain. Thought to be between 42,000 and 43,000 years old, the pebble itself features curves and indentations that, to modern eyes, give it the uncanny appearance of a human face. But what captivated archaeologists most was a single, vivid red dot placed exactly where the “nose” would be. Forensics carried out by Spanish police confirmed what was invisible to the naked eye: the mark was a fingerprint made with ochre—an earth pigment commonly used in prehistoric times—applied purposefully by a Neanderthal finger AOL News.