These Are The Earliest Human Paintings Ever

[Still Waters]

According to new dating tests, these are the first paintings ever made by humans. They are seals painted more than 42,000 years ago, located in the Cave of Nerja, in Málaga, Spain. And they may change our ideas about humanity's evolution.

Until now, archeologists thought that the oldest art was created during the Aurignacian period, by modern humans.But these are way older, way more primitive than the ones in Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave, the 32,000-year-old paintings featured in Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams.

According to the latest dating of the charcoal found next to the paintings—used either to make the paintings or illuminate them—these seals may have been made more than 42,300 years ago. In fact, they may be as old as 43,500 years.

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[Goodnite]

I wonder what seal tastes like? I guess ole neandrathal had to catch as catch can.

[I Am Not Resisting]

It doesn't look like a seal to me...more like a yam or something.

[danydandan]

I just read the article , but all i could think of was knob creek whiskey, and how funny that name is

[BrandOfAmber]

This looks like a double helix, not a seal.

Seals usually have arms, fins, and tails, as I recall. At least the Elephant seals here on the California coast do...

Are there other images somewhere I'm missing besides the scrawling on the stalagtites? Because in my view those are double helix strands, complete with an artistic 'twist' to show how they bend...

How does one see a seal in that drawing?

[Spectre1979]

Don't really look like anything to me.

[Primordiak]

they do look like double helix made by primatives....

[reggie2011]

yeah funny that it dose lokk like a double helix ,also ive never ever seen a seal with stripes on its body has anyone eles?

[reggie2011]

i just looked it up and no seals have ever had stripes or anything resemeling those creatures that were aware of..

[xYlvax]

Doesn't look like seals to me. lol

[Archangel Oger]

There is no way that dates back some 42,000 years ago. Not when agriculture began around 13,000 years ago.

[Archangel Oger]

There is no way that dates back some 42,000 years ago. Not when agriculture began around 13,000 years ago.

Excuse me I should have said "cultivation"

[Blizno]

There is no way that dates back some 42,000 years ago. Not when agriculture began around 13,000 years ago.

Why do you assume that these markings had to come after agriculture?

If they do represent seals, such animals could have been important food for hunter-gatherers long before agriculture appeared.

[Farmerboy]

It does look like a seal from the side on, the head at the top, the flipper at the right side and the closed tail at the bottom.