A small stone discovered in a Spanish cave may hold the oldest complete human fingerprint ever found. Researchers believe the mark, left more than 43,000 years ago, was made by a Neanderthal who deliberately applied red pigment to the surface. This ancient fingerprint in Spain could represent Europe’s earliest example of portable art.
Archaeologists discovered the stone at the San Lázaro rock shelter, located near the city of Segovia. The find came after nearly three years of detailed work by a team of scientists, including geologists and forensic experts. Their findings were published in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences.
The fingerprint appears on a small granite pebble, just over 20 centimeters long. Its surface contains natural grooves that resemble human facial features such as eyes and a mouth. The mark of red pigment is located where a nose might be expected, leading experts to believe it may have been intentionally placed to enhance the face-like image.
Ancient fingerprints offers clues of ancient symbolism among neanderthals
David Álvarez Alonso, an archaeologist at Complutense University of Madrid, explained that the stone’s unique shape and vivid red dot stood out during excavation. It caught our attention right away, he explained.
The red pigment was identified as a mix of iron oxides and clay, materials not native to the site. This suggests that the color was brought in from another location—a decision that researchers interpret as purposeful.
To determine whether the mark was made by a human finger, the team enlisted the help of forensic investigators. Their analysis confirmed that it was a fingerprint, most likely from an adult male. The clarity of the mark and its placement on the stone suggest it was not accidental.
What’s especially notable is that there’s no sign the stone was used as a tool. Instead, researchers believe it served a symbolic purpose. They suggest the Neanderthal who handled it might have seen a face in the stone—a phenomenon known as pareidolia—and added the fingerprint as a response to that impression.
A new perspective on neanderthal intelligence
This discovery adds to growing evidence that Neanderthals were capable of complex thought and creative expression—traits once believed to be exclusive to modern humans.
Experts point to the combination of factors: selecting a stone with face-like features, applying imported pigment, and making a clear fingerprint. These actions, they say, reflect a deeper level of awareness and meaning.
If this had been made by modern humans 5,000 years ago, it would be called art without hesitation, Álvarez explains. But because it’s linked to Neanderthals, it’s treated differently.
While only one such object has been found, researchers believe it strengthens the idea that Neanderthals had symbolic thought comparable to Homo sapiens. The deliberate act of marking the stone suggests not only creativity but also a desire to communicate or represent something beyond the physical world.