Prehistoric cave paintings in Spain show Neanderthals were artists

Red ocher markings which were painted on stalagmites by Neanderthals about 65,000 years ago, according to an international study, are seen in a prehistoric cave in Ardales, southern Spain, August 7, 2021. REUTERS/Jon Nazca

ARDALES, Spain(Reuters) - Neanderthals may have been closer to our species of prehistoric modern human than previously believed after cave paintings found in Spain proved they had a fondness for creating art, one of the authors of a new scientific report said on Sunday.

Red ochre pigment discovered on stalagmites in the Caves of Ardales, near Malaga in southern Spain, were created by Neanderthals about 65,000 years ago, making them possibly the first artists on earth, according to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal.