Ancient Neanderthal Fingerprint Discovered, Dating Back 43,000 Years, Now Recognized as the Oldest Ever Found
A potential record-shattering find in a Spanish rock shelter could challenge long-held views about Neanderthal artistic capabilities. A murky red dot, believed to be approximately 43,000 years old, may be humanity's oldest human fingerprint, as well as the oldest known instance of symbolic art created by Neanderthals in Europe.
The ocher-stained marking, identified on a rock presumed to resemble a human face, was intentionally left by a Neanderthal residing in Europe over 40,000 years ago. These prehistoric relatives of modern humans inhabited the continent for several hundred thousand years before the arrival of early modern humans.
The scientists behind a recent study suggest that the red dot functions as a "nose" to enhance the rock's vague resemblance to a human visage. This discovery also adds to the mounting evidence that Neanderthals were more skilled in symbolic expression than previously thought.
However, not all experts are entirely convinced that the dot represents a symbolic gesture. Anthropologist Bruce Hardy, of Kenyon College in Ohio, believes the dot was deliberately applied, but it may not have symbolic meaning beyond mere decoration.
Other experts argue that the red dot, while intentional, could simply be a naive decoration rather than a deliberate symbol. Rebecca Wragg Sykes, a British paleolithic archaeologist, suggests that the rock might possess similarities to a human figure seen from another perspective, but it is unclear whether the dot is intended to symbolize a "nose" specifically.
The research team published their findings in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, following the discovery at the San Lázaro rock shelter on Segovia's outskirts in Spain. The region housed a significant Neanderthal population between 44,000 and 41,000 years ago, with no evidence of early modern humans having ever inhabited the site.
As the debate over Neanderthal artistic prowess rages among archaeologists, further explorations into sites like these could shed light on their unexpected capacities for symbolic thought and artistic expression.
The Neanderthals' ability to express symbolic art can be further studied through explorations of sites like the San Lázaro rock shelter, as the red dot possibly holds advancements in scientific understanding of their artistic capabilities. With the dispute amongst experts over the intentionality and symbolism of the dot, technological advancements in medical-conditions research might help determine the significance of the marking in space-and-astronomy terms.
