Researchers have confirmed that some of the well-known cave paintings inside France’s Font-de-Gaume cave were created nearly 16,000 years ago, offering rare scientific proof of their Paleolithic origin.
The discovery comes from a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and represents an important advance in the study of prehistoric art in southwestern France.
For decades, specialists estimated the age of the paintings largely by studying their artistic style. However, the new research relied on direct radiocarbon dating taken from extremely small samples of black pigment used in the cave’s drawings.
The project was led by scientist Ina Reiche of France’s National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and director of the Laboratory for Molecular and Structural Archaeology. The team focused on two specific images located inside the UNESCO-listed cave in the Dordogne region: A bison drawn in an accessible section of the cave and a mysterious mask-like face located deeper inside a remote gallery.
Using careful sampling and advanced laboratory analysis, researchers were able to determine the approximate age of the pigments used to create the artwork.
New techniques help identify ancient pigments
Before collecting any samples, scientists relied on noninvasive imaging technology to determine the type of materials used in the drawings. This step was crucial because only carbon-based pigments, such as charcoal, can be reliably dated using radiocarbon techniques. Mineral pigments made from substances like manganese cannot be dated in the same way.
The imaging process revealed that several figures in Font-de-Gaume were created with carbon black, most likely charcoal. This finding surprised experts, as caves in the Dordogne region had long been believed to contain only engravings or paintings made with mineral-based pigments such as iron or manganese oxides.
After confirming the presence of carbon pigment, researchers carefully removed microscopic samples from two drawings. The fragments were so tiny they were invisible without magnification. Scientists then analyzed them using accelerator mass spectrometry, a technique capable of determining the age of extremely small carbon samples.
The most reliable results came from the mask-like figure. Samples from its upper and lower lips produced dates ranging between about 15,981 and 14,246 years before present, clearly placing the artwork in the Paleolithic era.
Dating results reveal complex history of cave art
The bison drawing produced a younger radiocarbon result, dating between 13,461 and 13,162 years before present. Researchers noted that this may still represent ancient artwork, but the sample could have been affected by contamination from later human contact or conservation work. The bison is located in a frequently visited part of the cave, increasing the chance that later materials altered the results.
Another sample taken from the mask figure’s left eye produced a much later date, around 9,000 years ago. Researchers believe this result likely reflects later modifications or contamination rather than the original creation of the image.
Despite these mixed results, the study provides the first direct scientific evidence that carbon-based cave art inside Font-de-Gaume dates back to the Paleolithic period. The discovery also opens the possibility of applying similar dating techniques to other caves in the Dordogne region, one of Europe’s most important areas for prehistoric art.
Experts say the findings may also change current understanding of how the cave’s artwork developed over time. Some of the carbon-black figures appear simpler in design compared with more detailed animal paintings nearby, suggesting the cave may have been decorated in several different phases across thousands of years.