Cave art and the first symbols
This page delivers no verdict; it presents claims and evidence with their sources. No theory in science is absolute. Method
For everyone
In 2024 a scene of a wild pig and human-like figures on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi was dated to about 51,200 years ago and published as the oldest narrative painting. It was proposed that some cave markings in Spain are older than 64,000 years and could therefore be Neanderthal work; this claim is debated.
For specialists
Dating uses uranium-series measurement of calcite crusts over the paintings, which gives a minimum age. Laser- ablation U-series was applied in Sulawesi. The dating of the Spanish examples (La Pasiega, Maltravieso, Ardales) was criticised on the grounds that open-system behaviour of the calcite (uranium leaching) may have inflated the ages.
Views on dating
No single date is given because the date is not documented with certainty; the views of different sources are listed.
| Archaeology (Sulawesi, Indonesia) | At least about 51,200 years ago (narrative scene)[1] |
|---|---|
| Archaeology (Spain; Neanderthal claim) | At least 64,000 years ago; the claim is disputed.[2][3] |
Claims
- Neanderthals also made symbolic cave art.[2]
Evidence
Supporting
Calcite over red markings in three Spanish caves was dated by uranium–thorium to more than 64,000 years, before modern humans were present in the region.[2]
Challenging
Critics argued that the relationship of the sampled crusts to the paint is unclear and that the U–Th ages may be too old for methodological reasons.[3]
Connections
Sources
- Article (2024). Narrative cave art in Indonesia by 51,200 years ago. Nature 631, 814–818DOI 10.1038/s41586-024-07541-7archive
- Article (2018). U-Th dating of carbonate crusts reveals Neandertal origin of Iberian cave art. Science 359, 912–915DOI 10.1126/science.aap7778archive
- Article (2020). Still no archaeological evidence that Neanderthals created Iberian cave art. Journal of Human Evolution 144, 102640DOI 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102640archive
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Cite this page
Athena contributors. (2026). Cave art and the first symbols. Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/magara-sanati/
@misc{athena_magara_sanati,
title = {Cave art and the first symbols},
author = {{Athena contributors}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/magara-sanati/}},
note = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}Added: September 27, 2026 · Last changed: September 27, 2026 · Page history