Recent archaeological finds from Spain, France and Portugal paint a fuller picture of Neanderthal life tens of thousands of years ago. Spanish cave paintings with geometric motifs and hand stencils have been dated to at least ~64,000 years (Science, 2018). A French cave yielded engravings older than 57,000 years (PLOS One, 2023), and Portuguese fossilized trackways dated 78,000–82,000 years include prints likely left by adults and children (Scientific Reports, 2023). Together, these discoveries suggest Neanderthals produced symbolic imagery and used coastal landscapes as part of daily and social life.
From Cave Paintings to Coastal Footprints: New Finds Reveal Neanderthal Artistry and Family Life
Recent archaeological finds from Spain, France and Portugal paint a fuller picture of Neanderthal life tens of thousands of years ago. Spanish cave paintings with geometric motifs and hand stencils have been dated to at least ~64,000 years (Science, 2018). A French cave yielded engravings older than 57,000 years (PLOS One, 2023), and Portuguese fossilized trackways dated 78,000–82,000 years include prints likely left by adults and children (Scientific Reports, 2023). Together, these discoveries suggest Neanderthals produced symbolic imagery and used coastal landscapes as part of daily and social life.
03:32 AM, 11/11/2025Science
Neanderthal creativity and coastal life come into sharper focus
Imagine a Neanderthal weekend on the Iberian Peninsula roughly 80,000 years ago: add pigment to a cave wall, then take the children for a stroll along the shoreline. Recent discoveries from Spain, France and Portugal suggest such scenes were not purely speculative but reflect real behaviors preserved in paint, engravings and fossilized footprints.
Spanish cave paintings: symbolic expression at least 64,000 years ago
Excavations in three Spanish caves revealed paintings with geometric motifs, stenciled handprints and linear designs. Researchers who analyzed the pigments and stratigraphy dated these works to at least ~64,000 years ago and reported the results in Science (2018). The team argues the imagery indicates much richer symbolic behavior among Neanderthals than traditionally assumed.
French engravings: abstract design older than 57,000 years
An independent study of a French cave documented engraved lines and finger-mark impressions the authors describe as “unambiguous examples of Neanderthal abstract design.” Their dating places these marks at more than 57,000 years old (PLOS One, 2023), strengthening the case that Neanderthals produced deliberate, nonutilitarian markings.
Portuguese trackways: adults and children on ancient coastal dunes
In coastal Portugal, scientists announced the country's first fossilized trackways, dated between about 78,000 and 82,000 years (Scientific Reports, 2023). At one site, preserved prints appear to include both adult and juvenile impressions preserved on what would once have been a coastal dune — a rare snapshot of movement, group composition and use of shoreline environments.
What this combination of evidence means
Together, painted caves and ancient footprints weave a more vivid picture of Neanderthal life: people who used symbolic imagery, moved through and exploited coastal landscapes, and likely traveled in mixed-age groups. While modern humans also carry traces of Neanderthal DNA, these new finds enrich our understanding of Neanderthal behavior independent of interactions with Homo sapiens.
Notes and caveats: Dating methods and interpretation of symbolic behavior can be complex, and some aspects remain debated in the scientific community. Nonetheless, multiple independent lines of evidence from different sites and countries strengthen the case that Neanderthals engaged in artistic and social practices much earlier than once thought.