Scientists unearthed a granite pebble bearing the world's oldest known human fingerprint, left by a Neanderthal approximately 43,000 years ago. The pebble, found at the San Lázaro Shelter archaeological site in Segovia, Spain, provides evidence of the symbolic thinking and abstract capacity of Neanderthals. According to Deutsche Welle, the finding was clearly identified as Neanderthal through multispectral techniques and forensic analysis.
The discovery was announced by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), and detailed findings were published in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. The research was conducted by a team of scientists from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME-CSIC), the Scientific Police of the National Police, and the University of Salamanca.
"The discovery represents direct evidence of the intentional use of pigments for symbolic purposes by Neanderthals," said David Álvarez Alonso, a researcher at the Department of Prehistory, Ancient History, and Archaeology of UCM. The pebble features a red ochre dot applied with the tip of a finger, leaving behind a complete fingerprint.
Further analyses determined that the fingerprint belonged to a Neanderthal male aged between 18 and 25 years. The print was made with the right index finger, emphasizing the symbolic capacity of Neanderthals. The pigment used was composed of clay and iron oxides, commonly known as ochre, which was often utilized in prehistoric cave paintings.
The pebble was discovered during the 2022 excavation campaign at the San Lázaro Shelter site, a rocky cavity on the bank of the Eresma River. The site provided refuge to Neanderthals between 41,000 and 45,000 years ago and contains abundant remains of lithic industry associated with Neanderthal tools, including those shaped using the "Levallois" technique.
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"The piece was very special: it was not an anvil, that is, it had not been used to carve on it, nor was it a hammer to make tools. It was a piece of granite without marks that had been brought expressly to that limestone cave," explained geologist Andrés Díez-Herrero of IGME-CSIC. Researchers suggest that the pebble's natural notches resembled the eyes and mouth of a human face, and the red dot was placed where the nose would be, indicating a possible representation through pareidolia.
"Where the nose should have been, a perfect fingerprint had been imprinted. It was amazing," Díez-Herrero recounted. The team believes that a Neanderthal may have seen the stone with a shape similar to a face, picked it up, and intentionally marked it with ochre, projecting abstract thought onto a material object.
Analyses using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), 3D scanning, and multispectral techniques were conducted to determine the intentional manipulation of the pebble.
The authors of the study conclude that the stone was intentionally manipulated for non-utilitarian purposes. "The fact that the pebble was selected for its appearance and marked with ochre demonstrates that there existed a human mind capable of symbolizing, imagining, idealizing, and projecting thoughts onto an object," they stated.
"This object contributes to our understanding of Neanderthals' capacity for abstraction, suggesting that it could represent one of the earliest human facial symbolizations in Prehistory," the authors wrote in the study.
The San Lázaro Shelter site is considered a key location for studying the last Neanderthal communities in the Iberian Peninsula, believed to have been inhabited just before their extinction about 30,000 years ago. The site contains numerous artifacts and remains, including tools and animal bones, providing valuable insights into Neanderthal life.
However, some experts expressed skepticism regarding the interpretation of the findings. Archaeologist Javier Baena from the Autonomous University of Madrid congratulated the team for bringing the fingerprint to light but disagreed with their conclusions. "The finding itself, excellently analyzed in its materiality, is of undoubted interest. The problem arises when one wants to dress it with a character of unicum (the oldest, the most singular) and the argument is forced in support of a purpose that strays from the strictly scientific," Baena commented.
The research team named the pebble "Perico" in honor of Spanish cyclist Pedro Delgado, who won a historic stage at Alpe D'Huez on July 14, 1988, leading him to win the Tour de France that year.
"The finding not only represents a milestone in European prehistoric research but also an invaluable opportunity to promote the archaeological heritage of Castilla y León," the CSIC stated.