
Did a Neanderthal Spot a Face in This Rock 43,000 Years Ago—and Leave a Fingerprint Behind?
'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,'' David Álvarez Alonso, an archaeologist at Complutense University in Madrid who was part of the dig, told The Guardian.
Álvarez Alonso and his colleagues spent the next three years studying this bizarre rock. The researchers posit that 43,000 years ago, a Neanderthal dipped their finger in ochre and pressed it onto the stone's central ridge—leaving behind what is now considered to be the world's oldest complete human fingerprint. It's an intriguing finding that could have significant implications, but some experts would like to see more evidence to support this hypothesis.
The team published its findings in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences on Saturday, May 24. In the paper, the archaeologists state that the 'strategic position' of the dot suggests it is evidence of Neanderthals' 'symbolic behavior.' In other words, it's a piece of art that 'could represent one of the earliest human face symbolizations in prehistory.'
'The fact that the [rock] was selected because of its appearance and then marked with ochre shows that there was a human mind capable of symbolizing, imagining, idealizing and projecting his or her thoughts on an object,' the researchers write.
Whether Neanderthals were capable of making art is a subject of ongoing debate, co-author María de Andrés-Herrero, a professor of prehistory at Complutense University, told the BBC. But over the past decade, a growing body of evidence has led many experts to believe that artistic expression emerged earlier in human evolution than previously thought.
The authors of this new study think their stone adds to this evidence. To reach this conclusion, they first needed more data to support the idea that this ancient artist had actually experienced pareidolia: seeing a face in an inanimate object. To that end, they generated a 3D model of the stone's surface and measured the distances between its features, finding that the red dot—or nose—was placed such that it accurately resembled an actual nose on a human face.
Then, the researchers enlisted the help of geologists to characterize the red dot, confirming that it was made with ochre. Forensic police experts then used multispectral analysis—a technique that can reveal details invisible to the naked eye—to confirm that the red dot had been applied with a fingertip. Their analysis uncovered a fingerprint that could have belonged to an adult male Neanderthal inside the dot.
'Once we had that and all the other pieces, context and information, we advanced the theory that this could be a pareidolia, which then led to a human intervention in the form of the red dot,' Álvarez Alonso told The Guardian. 'Without that red dot, you can't make any claims about the object.'
But Gilliane Monnier, a professor of anthropology at the University of Minnesota who studies Neanderthal behavior, is not totally convinced by the researchers' findings.
'The fact that there are these natural depressions—and that we can measure the distance between them and argue that it's a face—that's all well and good,' Monnier, who wasn't involved in the study, told Gizmodo. 'But that doesn't give us any indication that the Neanderthals who [occupied this cave] saw a face in that [rock].'
What's more, she is skeptical of the researchers' claim that the red dot was actually made with a human fingertip. It's possible, she said, that the coloring and fingerprint-like ridges formed naturally.
'I would be interested in seeing an explanation by a geologist—someone trained in geology—saying the likelihood of this forming by natural, geological or geomicrobial processes is a very low likelihood,' Monnier said.
The researchers, too, acknowledge that 'it is unlikely that all doubts surrounding this hypothesis can be fully dispelled,' and state that the pareidolia hypothesis should not be seen as a definitive claim, but rather a possible explanation for this object based on the evidence.
So it's hard to say whether this study clarifies or complicates our understanding of how the human mind evolved the ability to create art. The face-shaped rock is an intriguing piece of the puzzle, but more research is needed to figure out where it fits.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Charity appeal to save prehistoric ritual site
Cornwall Heritage Trust has launched a fundraising appeal to rescue and secure the future of a "unique prehistoric ritual site". The charity said it hoped to raise £50,000 towards the acquisition of Castilly Henge, just off the A30 near Bodmin. Castilly Henge is a substantial oval earthwork, with an external bank and internal ditch, which the trust said would have formed an amphitheatre-like settings for gatherings and ritual activities. The trust said the scheduled monument, described as "Cornwall's ancient sacred heart", was currently at risk due to the threat posed by "invasive vegetation". It said modern development of the nearby road infrastructure and local service network, which lie within meters of the site, also posed potential risks. The charity also said the henge was currently inaccessible to the public. Trust CEO Cathy Woolcock said: "The henge has been at risk for some time – a threat which urgently needs to be addressed before this special place and the secrets it holds are potentially lost." She said the charity had been protecting historic landscapes and monuments across Cornwall for the last 40 years. "We have a strong track record of giving these special places the archaeological and land management expertise they need and have helped save a number from the Heritage at Risk Register," she said. "We hope to be able to do the same for Castilly Henge." More news stories for Cornwall Listen to the latest news for Cornwall The trust said recent surveys undertaken by Historic England's Archaeological Investigation Team discovered traces of a now-removed possible stone circle in the middle of the henge. "Not all henges contain stone circles, and there is only one other known to survive in Cornwall," it added. "A four-week archaeological excavation is set to take place at the monument in September and October 2025 to target important questions about these findings to understand more about the monument's character, date and potential later reuse." Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ More on this story Hidden Neolithic stone circle set to be unearthed Related internet links Cornwall Heritage Trust
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Archaeological field school offers First Nations students hands-on experience
It's the first of its kind for Esk'etemc First Nation. An archaeological field school for students of all ages. It's a chance to learn more about family history and to gain the tools and hands-on experience necessary to work in the profession. CBC's Shelley Joyce dropped in on a class in the Alkali Valley about an hour south of Williams Lake.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
London team helps Jersey with archaeological finds
Archaeologists from London are visiting Jersey to help catalogue and store hundreds of ice age animal bone from an ancient site. Jersey Heritage said while the items, found before 1960 at La Cotte de St Brelade, had been subjected to detailed work, the early finds were yet to be studied using modern scientific techniques. It said visitors could meet the team from the University College London (UCL) Institute of Archaeology for a free "Meet the Collections" event on Saturday at Sir Francis Cook Gallery. The finds, which are part of a Société Jersiaise collection, include a fragment of woolly mammoth bone and lots of pieces of horse, red deer, bison, and bear bones, said Jersey Heritage. It added the UCL team was interested in the remains of animals that may have been hunted by some of the last surviving Neanderthal groups in the region. Jersey Heritage said: "There is no reason why some of these fragments of bone might not be from the Neanderthal people themselves." More news stories for Jersey Listen to the latest news for Jersey Curator of archaeology at Jersey Heritage, Olga Finch, said: "It's great to have the expertise of the London team to undertake this curatorial work and provide a detailed catalogue, which the public and researchers can access to learn more about this important story in the Island's history." Dr Matt Pope from UCL said it was exciting to be involved in the "important process". "This is one of the most important collections of Ice Age animal bone in the region and we are getting every ready to unlock its secrets," he added. Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to Related internet links Jersey Heritage UCL Institute of Archaeology More on this story New exhibition to explain history of Jersey Heritage releases historical Jersey records Gold award for Jersey Museum exhibit about island