Neanderthals Made Cave Paintings Before Modern Humans Even Reached Europe

[Judi Lynn]

3. Neanderthals made first cave paintings 20,000 years before modern humans

Neanderthals made first cave paintings 20,000 years before modern humans
By Brooks Hays | Feb. 23, 2018 at 12:40 PM

Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Modern humans weren't the first hominin with an artistic side. New research suggests Neanderthals were painting the walls of caves at least 64,000 years ago, roughly 20,000 years before modern humans began populating Europe.

Archaeologists discovered a series of ancient cave paintings in Spain. The artwork was made with paint derived from rich red-colored minerals. Scientists were able to date the paintings by analyzing the layers of carbonate deposited atop the paint.

The analysis method, called deuranium-thorium dating, proved the paintings were made more than 64,000 years ago.

"Our results show that the paintings we dated are, by far, the oldest known cave art in the world," Chris Standish, an archaeologist at the University of Southampton, said in a news release.

More:
https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2018/02/23/Neanderthals-made-first-cave-paintings-20000-years-before-modern-humans/4811519396914/