Neanderthals were often caricatured as the archetypal “cavemen” but recent discoveries have shown that they were capable of creating art. While their art is non-figurative and lacks depictions of animals or humans, it consists of hand stencils, finger flutings, and geometric markings. Neanderthals inhabited western Eurasia from about 400,000 years ago until their extinction about 40,000 years ago.
Recent findings in Spanish caves such as La Pasiega, Maltravieso, and Ardales have confirmed that Neanderthals created linear signs, geometric shapes, hand stencils, and handprints using pigments. In caves like La Roche Cotard in France, Neanderthals left various lines and shapes in finger flutings, while in the Bruniquel cave in southwest France, they constructed a large oval wall of stalactites and set fires on top of it.
Dating Palaeolithic cave art is challenging, but methods like radiocarbon dating of charcoal pigments or uranium decay dating of flowstones can provide minimum age estimates. For instance, hand stencils and color washes in Spanish caves were dated to over 64,000 years ago, predating the arrival of modern humans in the region by at least 22,000 years.
The discovery of meandering lines in Roche Cotard cave further supports Neanderthal artistic activity, with deliberate markings made on the walls. These findings suggest that Neanderthals were engaging in artistic activities in deep caves long before the arrival of modern humans in the region.
The art created by Neanderthals could represent their increasing awareness of agency in the world and possibly their engagement with an imaginary realm. As more discoveries are made, the debate around Neanderthal artistic capabilities will continue to evolve, shedding light on the cognitive and behavioral sophistication of our ancient relatives.
