A 40,800-year-old question
Inside the El Castillo cave, in the "Panel of Hands," a simple red disk of paint poses a complex question. A 2012 study dated this unassuming circle to be at least 40,800 years old, making it the oldest known cave art in Europe. The age is not derived from the pigment itself, which is inorganic ochre, but from the thin layer of calcite that formed over it. Researchers used Uranium-thorium (U-Th) dating to analyze the radioactive decay of uranium into thorium within the calcite. This technique provides a minimum age for the artwork underneath the deposit.
This date places the art at a fascinating intersection of prehistory. Anatomically modern humans, Homo sapiens, are thought to have arrived in this part of Europe around 41,500 years ago. The minimum age of 40,800 years means the painting was created during this narrow window of overlap, or, more provocatively, just before modern humans arrived. If the art is even a few hundred years older than its calcite covering, it could only have been made by the region's previous inhabitants: the Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis).
The mind of a Neanderthal
For decades, Neanderthals were depicted as unintelligent brutes without abstract or symbolic thought. The creation of art is a form of symbolic behavior. Attributing the El Castillo dots to Neanderthals would change our understanding of their cognitive abilities. Evidence suggests that Neanderthals were more sophisticated than once believed; they buried their dead, used complex tools, and wore personal ornaments. Cave art would be an addition to this list.
The art in El Castillo shows a long history of use, spanning over 20,000 years. The simple dots and hand stencils—one of which dates to at least 37,300 years ago—are the oldest forms. Later artists added figures of animals like bison and deer. The technique for creating the dots and hand stencils involved blowing pigment through a tube or directly from the mouth onto the cave wall. While the debate over authorship continues, with some scientists maintaining that early Homo sapiens are the more likely artists, the possibility of Neanderthal creativity remains. Further dating of art from this period is needed to settle the question.