Researchers Have Discovered the World’s Oldest Human Fingerprint. It’s 43,000 Years Old

Thousands of years ago, an adult Neanderthal encountered a granite boulder with an irregular shape, rich in quartz and natural clefts. Perhaps, to them, it resembled something more than just a stone. It looked like an elongated face. What followed was a seemingly simple act, but filled with significance. It resulted in the oldest human footprint ever found.

Neanderthal art. Scientists have recently recounted this event, which they estimate occurred around 43,000 years ago in Central Spain. According to a recent study, published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, the adult Neanderthal dipped their finger in red pigment and pressed it onto the stone, right where the nose of an imagined face would be. The result: the oldest human fingerprint ever recorded.

The discovery was verified by an interdisciplinary team of archaeologists, geologists, and forensic scientists. They concluded that the reddish spot contains iron oxides and clay minerals that aren’t found in the cave where the stone was found. This suggests that the pigment was intentionally brought from another location.

Art. Unlike tools or utilitarian objects, the stone found lacks practical use. Its value lies in its symbolic, aesthetic, and possibly spiritual significance. The red dot of pigment on the stone lends it archaeological value. What’s more, it represents a crucial step between the physical object and cultural meaning, given that it bridges the gap between the stone and the idea.

The meaning. Researchers argue that this finding supports the hypothesis that Neanderthals had a symbolic mind similar to Homo sapiens. The adult Neanderthal likely selected a stone for its shape, transported it, applied pigment with precision, and likely attributed meaning to it.

According to the team, this act illustrates the presence of at least three complex cognitive processes. These include the mental conception of an image, the intention to communicate through symbols, and the ability to attribute meaning.

These three processes form the very foundation of art. In that context, the pebble with a red dot may represent one of the oldest abstractions of a human face in the European prehistoric record. The uniqueness of this object makes it challenging to contextualize because there are currently no other items like it.

However, researchers emphasize that its artistic dimension shouldn’t be overlooked. On the contrary, its rarity underscores its significance as an isolated but revealing example of Neanderthals’ ability to translate thoughts and ideas into the material world.

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Breaking prejudices. The discovery sheds light on the ongoing modern resistance to viewing Neanderthals as genuine creators of art. According to the team, if this were a human-made object dated only 5,000 years ago, there would be no hesitation in classifying it as portable art.

However, the fact that it was produced by a Neanderthal reignites a debate that extends beyond the scientific realm and touches on cultural perceptions. Modern humans are reluctant to accept that other humans, extinct for around 40,000 years, shared not only tools, fire, and hunting strategies but also imagination, symbolism, and a desire to represent their experiences.

Viewed in this context, the stone found in Spain challenges established notions with a single fingerprint. It’s neither a mural nor a petroglyph, nor even a figurine. Rather, it’s a unique gesture on an ordinary surface. This calls for a profound reevaluation of what experts define as “art” and who is considered capable of creating it.

Thought process. Being interpreted as a deliberate act, the fingerprint prompts researchers to consider the mental process that led to that moment. What did that Neanderthal perceive on the stone? Was it a face, a spirit, or a sacred object? We may never know, but their act suggests a desire to assign meaning, to stand out, and to leave a mark.

According to the team, the complete absence of pigments in the cave environment indicates a clear intention. The stone was collected, transported, and altered purposefully. Moreover, in its apparent simplicity, this finding carries a complexity that compels scientists to rethink what it means to be human.

Neanderthals could look at a stone and see a face within it, then modify it so that others could perceive it too. As such, they possessed something vital that modern humans also share: the ability to transcend the immediate and imagine the invisible through a simple sign.

Images | Waltty Tang | David Álvarez-Alonso et al.

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