Archaeologists Discover 43,000-Year-Old Red Dot — Turns Out to Be Oldest Complete Human Fingerprint Ever
Forensic technology has helped researchers make a significant breakthrough regarding Neanderthals. The findings were based on the print spotted on a pebble from Spain, stated CNN. Researchers were unsure about who created the print, but modern investigation techniques came to their rescue. The revelation has been detailed in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences.
The oblong rock was extracted from 5 feet (1.5 meters) of sediment in the San Lázaro rock shelter of Segovia. It stood apart from other artifacts in the cave because it didn't seem to have an identified purpose. Radiocarbon dating revealed that the object was around 43,000 years old. The rock shelter has long been suspected to be a past abode for Neanderthals during that time period. On first glance, the team of archaeologists thought that the pattern on the object made it look like a human face. Researchers were intrigued because if this pattern was created by Neanderthals, then that implies they were able to create symbolic art like modern humans.
The rock is around 6 inches (15 centimeters) long, according to Live Science. There were two indentations on the object, which seemed to represent 'eyebrows'. Just below these 'eyebrows' was a red dot that experts think could have depicted a nose in the whole arrangement. The dot intrigued researchers because of its different color and also because further examinations revealed it to be a fingerprint. "This find represents the most complete and oldest evidence of a human fingerprint in the world, unequivocally attributed to Neanderthals, highlighting the deliberate use of the pigment for symbolic purposes," Spain's National Research Council (CSIC) added.
The fingerprint in the red dot was confirmed by Madrid’s forensic police corps, according to CNN. The multispectral analysis and other forensic techniques typically used for criminal investigation were utilized in this examination. The officials also compared the print with a human specimen to confirm their finding. The team also authenticated that the fingerprint did not belong to any of the researchers and asserted that it was possibly created by an adult male Neanderthal. This is the first time such investigative techniques have been used to verify a Neanderthal fingerprint. Researchers believe that, along with being the oldest complete hominin fingerprint, it could also be the oldest one of its kind to be made with a pigment.
The study claims that the dot exhibits a unique whorl pattern, stated Live Science. Experts think that the pebble was brought to the cave from the nearby river by the prehistoric humans because of its unique appearance. Thereafter, they supposedly used red ochre to create the dot in order to illustrate a human face on the rock. If this theory turns out to be true, study authors believe that this showcases that Neanderthals were capable of symbolizing, imagining, idealizing, and finally projecting their thoughts on an item. This means they possessed such capabilities as modern humans.
The fingerprint is now a part of a growing set of evidence which indicates that Neanderthals did make abstract art. Other proof has been detected on cave walls in France. Some experts like Rebecca Wragg Sykes, a paleolithic archaeologist at the universities of Cambridge and Liverpool in the U.K., believe that more investigation should be conducted before concluding that the red dot was put in place to symbolize a face. According to her, it could be reflecting other meanings that could come up in further examination.