Prehistoric cave-paintings reveal Neanderthals as artists

Neanderthals, our “cousin” species, long been perceived as barbaric and ingenuous, have now been realised to be closer to modern man, after prehistoric cave-paintings were recently discovered in Ardales, southern Spain. In fact, they can even be tagged as artists according to some sources. Ever since the publication of a 2018 research paper on the findings of red ocher markings upon a dome in a cave near Malaga, Spain, paleoarchaelogists have claimed that the extinct species of Neanderthals were art connoisseurs during the time when humans did not even exist. Reports further say that over 30000 years ago, prehistoric modern man created sophisticated wall paintings like those found in Chauvet Pont D’Arc cave in France. But these pigmented red ocher markings made on stalagmites by the ancient cave-men dates further back to almost 65000 years ago and have been found solely in and around Spain. However, another analysis suspects that these pigments found can be a result of iron oxide flow as published in a new journal PNAS. The analysis further revealed that the composition and consistency of these pigments may not be natural processes, but were applied through splattering and blowing, which suggests that the pigment may have come from an outside source. Joao Zilhao, one of the co-authors of the PNAS study has also said that the dating techniques suggest that the Neanderthals may have done it as part of a ritual in between 15000 to 20000 years apart. The team has also noted that the ancient cave-men were not that different from homo sapiens, and had created graphic representations with mysterious and symbolic significance rather than “art” in true sense of the term.