“Pictures” of Neanderthals found in a Spanish cave
Scientists have found new evidence that the Neanderthals had a very high level of development. Research has shown that the rock art in the Spanish cave Cueva de Ardales was created by them, according to PNAS .
Pigmented stalagmites were discovered back in 2018. But paleoarchaeologists could not say with certainty who decorated them.
New research confirms painting has nothing to do with Homo sapiens. Its age is 64,800 years. At that time, the ancestors of modern people had not yet settled on the European continent, but the tribes of Neanderthals lived there.
Scientists have also disproved the theory that the pigment appeared naturally on the stalagmites. They found that it was applied deliberately by spraying and blowing.
In addition, the texture of the pigment did not match the samples found in the same cave. Consequently, the dye took them to a different place. More detailed dating showed that the pigments were applied at different points in time, with an interval of more than 10 thousand years.
“Neanderthals have come several times over several thousand years to mark the cave with pigments,” said co-author Francesco d'Errico of the University of Bordeaux.
Scientists believe that in this way the extinct hominids marked the special meaning of this place. Although the true meaning of the symbols is still a mystery.
Earlier it was reported that a Neanderthal spearhead was found in a cave in Germany. It is about 65 thousand years old.
