Neanderthals may have left engravings on the walls of a French cave 57,000 years ago. The markings are among the oldest known examples of the ancient human species' artwork, according to a paper in PLOS ONE.
The discovery is the latest in a series of findings that suggest Neanderthals weren't as primitive as previously thought.
The oldest Neanderthal cave engravings
The markings are made up of lines, squiggles, and dots, likely made by fingers instead of tools. In particular, the dips and ridges resemble what might be left behind if you lightly raked your fingers through damp sand.
It's a technique known as finger fluting and is common in prehistoric art, where someone drags fingers through a soft surface. The walls of the cave are a chalky limestone called tuffeau that's easier to mark than harder stone like granite.
Using a method called photogrammetry, the researchers from the University of Tours in France mapped the marks and created 3D models. Based on how the markings were positioned and spaced, the lines and traces appear to be "intentional and meticulous," the authors wrote.
That said, whether the carvings were symbolic to whoever made them is another question entirely, said Shara Bailey, a biological anthropologist at New York University who was not involved in the study. And ultimately, it's impossible to know for certain, the researchers acknowledged.
"Although the finger tracings at La Roche-Cotard are clearly intentional, it is not possible for us to establish if they represent symbolic thinking," the authors wrote.
In contrast, a 44,000-year-old cave painting by Homo sapiens is more representative of what the artist would've seen, with human-like figures hunting pigs and a water buffalo.
Neanderthals were probably more advanced than we thought
Though early researchers considered Neanderthals less advanced than humans, more recent findings have complicated that view. Evidence suggests Neanderthals buried their dead, made jewelry, and built complex structures.
"It's always tantalizing to find sites that suggest that Neanderthals were making art because the big question is, how much like us were Neanderthals," Bailey said.
Neanderthals lived in Europe long before Homo sapiens arrived. Though there's evidence modern humans were in France 54,000 years ago, their presence wasn't more widespread until 45,000 years ago.
The La Roche-Cotard Cave, where the markings were found, was sealed between 51,000 and 60,000 years ago, according to samples the researchers collected and dated measuring ionized radiation levels through a method called optically stimulated luminescence dating
The timing for when the cave was sealed would likely rule out the possibility that modern humans made the carvings. In addition, stone tools known as Mousterian lithics were the only artifacts in the cave, and the style is associated with Neanderthals and not Homo sapiens in Western Europe.
More research is needed
There may be other explanations for the markings, whether from animals or other natural phenomena. And while the authors claim these are the oldest examples of Neanderthal cave art, previous findings may challenge that, if confirmed.
In 2018, researchers estimated a group of Spanish cave paintings were 65,000 years old and made by Neanderthals. However, other experts claimed there may have been errors in the uranium-thorium dating technique, and humans may have painted the red and black geometric shapes.
Ultimately, if the findings are confirmed, the La Roche-Cotard Cave discovery may add to a more sophisticated understanding of Neanderthals, even if it's not clear what the markings represented or were used for.
