Archaeologists' breakthrough discovery: New findings on human evolution

The nearly three-year study of the find was conducted by a team of Spanish archaeologists, geologists and police forensic experts led by scientists from the Complutense University of Madrid. The results of the study were published on May 24 in the scientific journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences.

Scientists have examined a stone found in Spain that resembles a human face.

The subject of the study was an elongated granite stone, just over 20 cm long, found in July 2022 in the San Lázaro rock shelter on the outskirts of Segovia in central Spain. Its appearance resembled an elongated human face with natural depressions in the places of the eyes and mouth. However, what drew attention in particular was the red dot located almost in the very center of the stone, resembling a deliberately painted nose.

It was this that became the main subject of research by scientists who wanted to determine whether it appeared there by accident or was placed there for a specific purpose.

"We all thought the same thing and looked at each other because of the shape: we all thought, 'That looks like a face.' But of course that wasn't enough. As we continued our research, we knew we needed information to be able to hypothesize that there was some purpose here, that it was a symbolic object, and that one possible explanation - although we'll never know for sure - was that it was a symbolization of a face," said David Álvarez Alonso, an archaeologist at the Complutense University of Madrid, quoted by The Guardian.

The oldest human fingerprint

Scientists invited specialists from the Spanish Scientific Police to collaborate on the study of the extraordinary find from San Lázaro. In the course of their work, they used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and multispectral analysis. Thanks to these studies, they were able to determine that the red spot in the middle of the stone is in fact the fingerprint of an adult male. It was made using ochre – the same natural mineral pigment in a shade of red that was used to make cave paintings.

Studies have shown that the pigment contained iron oxides and clay minerals, which were not found in the San Lázaro rock shelter itself or its surroundings. This means that the stone must have been brought there. But that's not all. Scientists have not found any signs on it that could indicate that it was used as a tool. This, however, could mean that it was an object of symbolic value.

Scientists Discover 43,000-Year-Old Human Fingerprint

In the course of the research it turned out that the fingerprint on the stone was probably left about 43 thousand years ago by a Neanderthal. This makes it the oldest human fingerprint that has been found so far and at the same time the first complete one. Moreover, scientists assume that it was made on purpose.

According to scientists, these findings suggest that Neanderthals had a tendency towards pareidolia, or seeing faces in inanimate objects. They could therefore have had the ability to think symbolically, and the discovered stone may prove that the pigment was intentionally used for symbolic purposes. It may be evidence that Neanderthals created art. If this is indeed the case, the find from San Lázaro is probably the oldest known European portable work of art.

“This discovery makes an important contribution to global knowledge on human evolution and represents a significant advance in understanding the symbolic behaviour of our ancestors,” the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain’s largest public research institution dedicated to scientific and technical research, said in a statement.

Scientists who investigated the find, however, realize that their discovery will spark discussion:

- We presented our interpretation in the article, but the debate continues. And everything related to Neanderthals always generates a huge debate. If we had a pebble with a red dot that was made 5,000 years ago by Homo sapiens, no one would hesitate to call it portable art. But associating Neanderthals with art generates a lot of discussion - admitted David Álvarez Alonso, quoted by "The Guardian".