The Oldest Cave Paintings in Malaga, Spain Made by Neanderthals

Score another one for my Neanderthals. I have long believed that Neanderthals were far more accomplished than many experts were willing to acknowledge. Now there is more proof.

The paintings, found in the Nerja cave near Malaga, may in fact be the oldest found to date, and the first to have been created by Neanderthals. Charcoal found beside six of the paintings indicate that the images were created between 43,500 and 42,300 years ago. This makes these paintings far older than those found at Grotte Chauvet cave in southeast France. The Chauvet paintings are currently thought to be the earliest paintings by Homo sapiens and are believed to have been created around 30,000 years ago.

José Luis Sanchidrián of the University of Cordoba says the images depict seals which were hunted by the local Neanderthals. The images are heavily stylized and the interpretation may prove to be incorrect. Some observers say that the images resemble a double helix.

Homo sapiens is believed to have entered eastern Europe some time around 40,000 to 42,000 years ago. Although it is not impossible, it is highly unlikely that they would have migrated to Spain at such an early stage.

Plans are underway to date the paint pigments themselves with testing expected to begin sometime after 2013. In the meantime the extensive Nerja cave system, discovered in 1959, is still being explored.
It is interesting that cave paintings, among other ancient artifacts, have traditionally been attributed to Homo sapiens partly because Neanderthals were believed to be incapable of producing "art." Recently, though, this belief has been challenged by the discovery of large numbers of decorated shell and stone objects in areas known to have been inhabited exclusively by Neanderthals. Some experts, more or less grudgingly, are now crediting Neanderthals with the potential to create art.

One problem I have with all these new discoveries is that I am constantly having to update the information in my upcoming book on Neanderthal life and culture as new information becomes available. But for me, that’s a good thing. Neanderthals deserve more credit than they are currently getting.

Here’s an interesting article on these cave paintings