
CUEVA DE ARDALES, SPAIN—According to a statement released by the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)), a team led by University of Bordeaux archaeologist Franceso d’Errico has found that red markings in Spain’s Cueva de Ardales were intentionally painted more than 65,000 years ago. Scholars had previously argued that the markings were a natural deposit of iron oxide left by flowing water. But the team found that the red residue did not match other iron oxide deposits in the cave and were deliberately made by Neanderthals, who were the only inhabitants of this part of Europe when the marks were made. The team also found evidence that the markings were left over the course of thousands of years, suggesting many generations of Neanderthals visited the cave to make paintings. For more on recent research into Neanderthal cognitive abilities, go to “Twisted Neanderthal Tech.”