• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Archaeology News
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum
Archaeology News
No Result
View All Result
Home News Archaeology

57000-year-old Neanderthal engravings uncovered in a French cave

by Dario Radley
June 24, 2023

Neanderthals, our ancient relatives, were not just simple cave dwellers, but rather complex beings with symbolic and artistic expression. Recent research has unveiled the oldest known engravings made by Neanderthals on a cave wall in La Roche-Cotard, France.

57000-year-old Neanderthal engravings uncovered in a French cave
Scientists discuss the Neanderthal markings on the walls of the cave. Credit: Kristina Thomsen, CC-BY 4.0

The study, published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, confirms that these markings are deliberate, organized, and intentional shapes created by human hands.

The cave, discovered in 1846 during quarrying work, has revealed fascinating insights into the lives of Neanderthals. While previous excavations in 1912 uncovered animal bones and Neanderthal stone tools, it was only in recent decades that the full extent of the cave and its significance became apparent.

The third chamber of the cave features hundreds of finger flutings, non-figurative markings made by running fingers across the soft brown film that covers the crumbly limestone walls.

By analyzing the shape, spacing, and arrangement of these engravings, researchers concluded that they were purposeful creations.

RelatedStories

UNESCO adds Iran’s Khorramabad Valley to World Heritage List, highlighting 60,000 years of human history

UNESCO adds Iran’s Khorramabad Valley to World Heritage List, highlighting 60,000 years of human history

July 12, 2025
Neanderthals turned cave lion bones into multifunctional tools 130,000 years ago, study reveals

Neanderthals turned cave lion bones into multifunctional tools 130,000 years ago, study reveals

July 10, 2025

The team used photogrammetry to create 3D models of the markings and compared them with known human and experimental markings, further confirming their intentional nature. The sediments within the cave were dated using optically-stimulated luminescence dating, showing that the cave became sealed off around 57,000 years ago, well before the arrival of Homo sapiens in the region.

Additionally, the stone tools found in the cave belong to the Mousterian technology, typically associated with Neanderthals, providing strong evidence that these engravings were indeed the work of Neanderthals.

The significance of these non-figurative symbols and their intended meaning remains unclear. However, their age places them in the same timeframe as cave engravings made by Homo sapiens in other parts of the world, suggesting that Neanderthals’ behavior and activities were similarly complex and diverse as those of our own ancestors.

57000-year-old Neanderthal engravings uncovered in a French cave
A line drawing of the cave engravings. The arrows indicate the direction of the passage of the finger.. Credit: Marquet et al, PLoS ONE 2023

The discovery of these engravings makes La Roche-Cotard the oldest decorated cave in France, if not all of Europe.

Jean-Claude Marquet, one of the archaeologists involved in the research, acknowledges that understanding the meaning behind these ancient Neanderthal tracks is challenging. Nevertheless, he emphasizes the importance of such discoveries in recognizing and appreciating our shared history with Neanderthals, even though we are genetically distinct from them.

The findings from La Roche-Cotard contribute to a broader shift in our understanding of Neanderthals’ capabilities and cultural complexity. While they were previously underestimated and considered simple beings, recent studies have demonstrated their diverse skill set.

For instance, evidence suggests that Neanderthals regularly hunted elephants using stone tools and even hunted crabs in rock pools in Portugal. The discovery of these ancient engravings adds further weight to the argument that Neanderthals were capable of complex and intentional artistic expression.

More information: Marquet J-C, Freiesleben TH, Thomsen KJ, Murray AS, Calligaro M, Macaire J-J, et al. (2023). The earliest unambiguous Neanderthal engravings on cave walls: La Roche-Cotard, Loire Valley, France, PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286568.
ShareTweetShareShareSend

You May Also Like...

1,600-year-old tomb of Caracol’s founding king Te K’ab Chaak unearthed in Belize jungle
Anthropology

1,600-year-old tomb of Caracol’s founding king Te K’ab Chaak unearthed in Belize jungle

July 12, 2025
11,000-year-old feast in Iran’s Zagros Mountains reveals long-distance animal transport and early Neolithic social rituals
Archaeology

11,000-year-old feast in Iran’s Zagros Mountains reveals long-distance animal transport and early Neolithic social rituals

July 12, 2025
UNESCO adds Iran’s Khorramabad Valley to World Heritage List, highlighting 60,000 years of human history
Anthropology

UNESCO adds Iran’s Khorramabad Valley to World Heritage List, highlighting 60,000 years of human history

July 12, 2025
5,500-year-old 'Polish pyramids' discovered in western Poland reveal Neolithic engineering
Anthropology

5,500-year-old ‘Polish pyramids’ discovered in western Poland reveal Neolithic engineering

July 11, 2025
17th-century Gullberg’s fortress in Gothenburg brought to life through 3D reconstruction
Archaeology

17th-century Gullberg’s fortress in Gothenburg brought to life through 3D reconstruction

July 11, 2025
Neanderthals turned cave lion bones into multifunctional tools 130,000 years ago, study reveals
Anthropology

Neanderthals turned cave lion bones into multifunctional tools 130,000 years ago, study reveals

July 10, 2025

Follow us


Instagram
247K

Facebook
110K

Threads
43K

LinkedIn
12K

Twitter
6K

YouTube
1K
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Shipwreck Salvage. Credit: rawpixel.com / Public Domain

2,000-year-old shipwreck discovered off Turkish coast with remarkably preserved stacked ceramics

July 2, 2025
Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

May 18, 2025
Neanderthals operated prehistoric “fat factory” 125,000 years ago on German lakeshore, study finds

Neanderthals operated prehistoric “fat factory” 125,000 years ago on German lakeshore

July 3, 2025
Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

July 3, 2025
Genetic study reveals the origin and diversity of the Huns

European Huns were not of Turkic origin but had ancient Siberian roots, linguistic study reveals

June 24, 2025
$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius' eruption

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

Oldest US firearm discovered in Arizona: a 500-year-old relic of Coronado's expedition

Oldest US firearm discovered in Arizona: a 500-year-old relic of Coronado’s expedition

1,600-year-old tomb of Caracol’s founding king Te K’ab Chaak unearthed in Belize jungle

1,600-year-old tomb of Caracol’s founding king Te K’ab Chaak unearthed in Belize jungle

July 12, 2025
11,000-year-old feast in Iran’s Zagros Mountains reveals long-distance animal transport and early Neolithic social rituals

11,000-year-old feast in Iran’s Zagros Mountains reveals long-distance animal transport and early Neolithic social rituals

July 12, 2025
UNESCO adds Iran’s Khorramabad Valley to World Heritage List, highlighting 60,000 years of human history

UNESCO adds Iran’s Khorramabad Valley to World Heritage List, highlighting 60,000 years of human history

July 12, 2025
5,500-year-old 'Polish pyramids' discovered in western Poland reveal Neolithic engineering

5,500-year-old ‘Polish pyramids’ discovered in western Poland reveal Neolithic engineering

July 11, 2025
17th-century Gullberg’s fortress in Gothenburg brought to life through 3D reconstruction

17th-century Gullberg’s fortress in Gothenburg brought to life through 3D reconstruction

July 11, 2025

Archaeology News online magazine

Archaeology News is an international online magazine that covers all aspects of archaeology.











Categories

  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • Download
  • Game
  • News
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Paleontology
  • Quiz
  • Tours

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum

About  .  Contact  .  Donation

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to improve your experience and enable functionality and security of this site. Further detail is available in our Privacy Policy. By accepting all cookies, you consent to our use of cookies and use of data.