A 43,000-Year-Old Discovery in Central Spain
In the summer of 2022, a team of archaeologists and scientists unearthed something astonishing at the San Lázaro rock shelter near Segovia, in central Spain. What first appeared to be a peculiar stone with red pigment would soon become the focus of a groundbreaking revelation. This granite pebble, roughly 20 centimetres long, not only resembled a human face but also bore the world’s oldest known human fingerprint, believed to be that of a Neanderthal.
The discovery was more than an archaeological curiosity. It challenged long-held assumptions about the cognitive and artistic capacities of Neanderthals and reignited debates about whether Homo sapiens were truly the first artists.
A Face in the Stone
David Álvarez Alonso, an archaeologist at the Complutense University of Madrid, recalled the moment of discovery with vivid clarity. “The stone was oddly shaped and had a red ochre dot, which caught our eye,” he said. He and his colleagues were struck by how the indentations and contours of the granite stone seemed to form an elongated human-like face. “We were all thinking the same thing and looking at each other because of its shape: we were all thinking, ‘This looks like a face’,” he explained.
The placement of the red dot was especially significant. It was precisely where the nose might appear on a human face. This suggested that someone had deliberately interacted with the stone, recognising its shape and responding with symbolic intent.
Scientific Investigation Confirms a Human Fingerprint
To test their hypothesis, the research team collaborated with experts in geology, archaeology, and forensic science. The red pigment was analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and multispectral spectroscopy, techniques that confirmed the dot had been applied using a human fingertip. The pigment consisted of iron oxides and clay minerals not found in or near the cave, indicating it had been transported from another location.
“We then got in touch with the scientific police to determine whether we were right that the dot had been applied using a fingertip,” said Álvarez Alonso. “They confirmed that it had.” The forensic investigation revealed that the fingerprint most likely belonged to an adult male.
Courtesy – Álvarez-Alonso et al
According to the researchers, the spacing between the lines, their arrangement, and curvature could only belong to a human finger. “It is not just a fingerprint; it is the signature of an individual who manipulated this object with a purpose that goes beyond the utilitarian,” the team explained.
Published Findings in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
The team’s full findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. The study concluded that the Neanderthal fingerprint on the red ochre-marked stone provides solid evidence of symbolic expression. It is the earliest known symbolic object in Europe created by a Neanderthal, dated to approximately 43,000 years ago during the final stages of Neanderthal presence in the Iberian Peninsula.
The authors wrote, “The fact that the pebble was selected because of its appearance and then marked with ochre shows that there was a human mind capable of symbolising, imagining, idealising and projecting his or her thoughts on an object.”
They further proposed that the artefact involved three core cognitive abilities: “the mental conception of an image, deliberate communication, and the attribution of meaning.” These elements, they argue, are foundational to both symbolism and prehistoric abstract art.
Preconceptions About Neanderthal Intelligence
The idea that Neanderthals created art is still met with scepticism in some academic circles. If the same pebble with a red dot had been found in a context associated with Homo sapiens, it would likely have been classified without hesitation as portable art. But because it is associated with Neanderthals, the discovery invites debate.
“There’s sometimes an unintentional prejudice,” Álvarez Alonso admitted. “If we had a pebble with a red dot on it that was done 5,000 years ago by Homo sapiens, no one would hesitate to call it portable art. But associating Neanderthals with art generates a lot of debate.”
Still, the archaeologist remains confident that the evidence speaks for itself. “It couldn’t have been a coincidence that the dot is where it is,” he said. “And there are no markings to indicate any other use. So why did they bring this pebble from the river to the inside of the cave? And, what’s more, there’s no ochre inside the cave or outside it. So they must have had to bring pigment from elsewhere.”
A Unique Artefact in the Archaeological Record
Unlike cave paintings or carvings found in multiples, this stone is a solitary find. That makes it more challenging to contextualise, yet also more compelling. Its uniqueness reinforces the idea that Neanderthals engaged in abstract thought and recognised symbolic shapes in the natural world.
Álvarez Alonso asked a key question that underscores the discovery’s impact: “Why would a Neanderthal have seen it differently from the way we see it today? They were human, too.”
A Turning Point in Understanding Prehistoric Art
This fingerprint not only provides the oldest direct evidence of human touch in the archaeological record, but it also suggests that prehistoric Neanderthals had the mental capacity for symbolism, artistic intent, and emotional engagement with their surroundings.
As the debate continues in scientific circles, this discovery adds weight to a growing body of evidence suggesting that Neanderthals were far more advanced than previously believed. From personal ornaments to early cave art, they were capable of creating meaning through visual expression.
The researchers conclude that the object is “an unparalleled” find. It supports the notion that Neanderthals had a cognitive world not unlike our own. The cobble with the red ochre fingerprint is more than a curiosity, it is a Neanderthal’s message from 43,000 years ago, preserved in stone and pigment, offering a rare glimpse into the human experience of the Palaeolithic past.
Image – World’s Oldest Fingerprint. Courtesy – kerenskii on Damnthatsinteresting via Reddit
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