Researchers in Spain have discovered that Neanderthals may have created art, challenging the belief that artistic expression originated solely with modern humans. This finding centers on a quartz-rich granite pebble, found in a rock shelter in central Spain, dating back 42,000 to 43,000 years. The pebble, measuring over 8 inches long, features curves and indentations resembling a human face, with a distinctive red dot at the location of the nose.
Lead author David Álvarez-Alonso noted the pebble’s peculiarity and emphasized the significance of the red dot, which was identified as ochre, a natural pigment. Forensic analysis confirmed that the dot was a fingerprint, indicating intentional application by a finger dipped in the pigment. This suggests that a Neanderthal, presumably an adult male, perceived the pebble as a face—a psychological phenomenon known as pareidolia—leading him to create “one of the oldest known abstractions of a human face.”
Álvarez-Alonso described this act as a simple yet meaningful expression of symbolism. The discovery is particularly notable as it represents the most complete Neanderthal fingerprint identified to date, surpassing a previous partial find in Germany. Although this pebble is isolated and unique, it contributes to a growing body of evidence indicating symbolic behavior among Neanderthals.
Despite this finding, Álvarez-Alonso cautions against directly comparing Neanderthal symbolism with that of Homo sapiens, as evidence suggests that Neanderthals did not develop a visual symbolic system as intricate as that of modern humans. Ultimately, while this pebble does not resolve the broader questions regarding Neanderthals’ cognitive capacities, it offers valuable insights into their potential for symbolic thought.
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