Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art News
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art News
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art News
Bradshaw Foundation - Latest News
Neanderthal art claimed in the Loire Valley
Thursday 23 November 2023

An article by Christian Heuss on unibas.ch - Neanderthals were the world’s first artists - reports on recent research which has shown that engravings in a cave in La Roche-Cotard, France, which has been sealed for thousands of years were actually made by Neanderthals. This research was performed by Basel archaeologist Dorota Wojtczak together with a team of researchers from France and Denmark.

Neanderthal art Loire artists engravings cave France archaeologist
Dorota Wojtczak (left) during excavation work in La Roche-Cotard. Wall traces (right) of Neanderthals in the caves of La Roche-Cotard. Images: Jean-Claude Marquet et al.

When the French archaeologist Jean-Claude Marquet entered the La Roche-Cotard cave in the Loire Valley for the first time in 1974, he suspected that the fine lines on the wall could be of human origin. But he also found scrapers and other retouched pieces - Mousterian stone artifacts - that suggested the cave had been used by Neanderthals. Who made the marks? Fearing he would be unable to provide sufficient scientific evidence to prove his hypothesis, Marquet left the cave untouched for almost 40 years.

Together with an international team, he made another attempt in 2016. This time he was accompanied by Dr. Dorota Wojtczak from Integrative Prehistoric and Archaeological Science (IPAS) at the Department of Environmental Sciences of the University of Basel, who specializes in archaeological use-wear analysis. Wojtczak explained “Our task was to use modern methods to prove the human origin of these wall engravings.” The researchers recently published their findings in the journal PLOS ONE.

First with photos and drawings and later with a 3D scanner, the marks in the tuff rock of the cave wall were meticulously recorded. In her laboratory in Basel, Wojtczak compared these samples from the cave with tuff she had worked on experimentally with wood, bone and stone tools, as well as with her hands - “This research clearly showed that the cave marks were not made with tools, but by scratching with human fingers,” says Wojtczak.

At the same time, examination of cave sediment by researchers from Denmark showed that the cave must have been sealed off by mud residues from the Loire and soil sediments for over 50,000 years before being rediscovered. This makes the La Roche-Cotard cave system a very special location – a veritable “time capsule”. “At this time, 50,000 years ago, there were no modern humans in Europe, only Neanderthals,” says Wojtczak. The wall marks and artifacts can therefore only come from these early humans.

While the clear geometric shapes with parallel and triangular lines suggest that these marks were not scribbled on the wall by chance, the researcher does not know what they represent. “But they could only have been made by someone who proceeded with planning and understanding,” she says. And whether it was “art” as such, or a form of recording-keeping, is a matter of interpretation.

The chamber of La Roche-Cotard that has been explored so far is just one part of an entire cave system. The researcher hopes to gain further insight into the Neanderthals’ activities, particularly from Chamber 4, which is still largely covered by sediment.

Rock Art
Held accountable for damage to rock art in Spain
by Bradshaw Foundation
Friday 09 August 2024
Scientific Exploration Society
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 24 July 2024
New dating for the oldest known rock art in Indonesia
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 04 July 2024
Petroglyphs in the Asir Province of Saudi Arabia
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 01 July 2024
Rock carvings rediscovered in Central Brazil
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 20 March 2024
Petition to save Vingen petroglyphs in Norway
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 13 February 2024
Norway's Vingen petroglyphs at risk
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 13 February 2024
BRAG 2024 in Scotland
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 01 February 2024
Sahara Rock Art Expedition: Algeria 2024
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 28 November 2023
Neanderthal art claimed in the Loire Valley
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 23 November 2023
Cave art discovered on Crete
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 20 November 2023
Petroglyphs of Checta receive Congressional protection
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 31 October 2023
Jean Clottes attends tribute
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 26 October 2023
Pictograph vandalism in Ontario
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 20 September 2023
Sahara & Aïr Mountains Safari in Niger 2023
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 17 July 2023
Rock Art & Wilderness Safari in Namibia 2023
by Bradshaw Foundation
Sunday 09 July 2023
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation on social media for news & updates
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation
on social media for news & updates
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation on social media for news & updates
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation
on social media for news & updates
If you have enjoyed visiting this website
please consider adding a link © Bradshaw Foundation
 
 
ROCK ART NETWORK
Rock Art Network Bradshaw Foundation Getty Conservation Institute
ROCK ART
Held accountable for damage to rock art in Spain
by Bradshaw Foundation
Friday 09 August 2024
Scientific Exploration Society
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 24 July 2024
New dating for the oldest known rock art in Indonesia
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 04 July 2024
Petroglyphs in the Asir Province of Saudi Arabia
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 01 July 2024
Rock carvings rediscovered in Central Brazil
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 20 March 2024
Petition to save Vingen petroglyphs in Norway
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 13 February 2024
Norway's Vingen petroglyphs at risk
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 13 February 2024
BRAG 2024 in Scotland
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 01 February 2024
Sahara Rock Art Expedition: Algeria 2024
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 28 November 2023
Neanderthal art claimed in the Loire Valley
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 23 November 2023
Cave art discovered on Crete
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 20 November 2023
Petroglyphs of Checta receive Congressional protection
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 31 October 2023
Jean Clottes attends tribute
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 26 October 2023
Pictograph vandalism in Ontario
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 20 September 2023
Sahara & Aïr Mountains Safari in Niger 2023
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 17 July 2023
Rock Art & Wilderness Safari in Namibia 2023
by Bradshaw Foundation
Sunday 09 July 2023
Bradshaw Foundation Donate Friends
Support our work & become a
Friend of the Foundation
 
 
 
Bradshaw Foundation YouTube
Bradshaw Foundation iShop Shop Store
Bradshaw Foundation iShop Shop Store
Bradshaw Foundation iShop Shop Store