22/12/2024
❤️🔥✨
Neanderthals created hand stencil rock art over 66,000 years ago, U-series dating reveals
A discovery in Maltravieso Cave, located in Extremadura, Spain, has fundamentally challenged long-held beliefs about the origins of human artistic expression. Researchers have determined that hand stencils in the cave date back over 66,000 years, suggesting that Neanderthals, rather than modern humans, were the world’s first artists. This revelation highlights the advanced cognitive and cultural capabilities of Neanderthals.
The research, conducted by an international team of archaeologists from the University of Southampton and collaborating institutions in Great Britain and Spain, utilized uranium-thorium (U-series) dating to establish the age of the artwork. Their findings, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, confirm that these hand stencils are among the earliest known examples of intentionally created visual art...
More information: https://archaeologymag.com/2024/12/neanderthals-created-hand-stencil-over-66000-years-ago/
Follow Archaeology News