43,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Fingerprint Discovered in Spain May Be Oldest Ever Found!
A remarkable discovery at the San Lázaro rock shelter in central Spain, not far from Segovia, is turning what we thought we knew about Neanderthals on its head. Archaeologists have uncovered what could be the earliest known human fingerprint, a 43,000-year-old impression left in red ochre on a small granite pebble. Far from a random smudge, this ancient fingerprint appears to be part of a deliberate and symbolic creation, offering fresh insight into the cognitive world of our closest evolutionary cousins.
The find centres on a granite stone stained with ochre and bearing a clearly defined fingerprint alongside what seem to be facial features. According to researchers, this could represent one of the earliest known attempts at symbolic expression, potentially the work of a Neanderthal.
Photo Credit: D. Álvarez-Alonso et al., Archaeol Anthropol Sci (2025)
The study, published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, was led by a multidisciplinary team from the Complutense University of Madrid, the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain, the Spanish National Police’s forensic science unit, and the University of Salamanca. Using advanced techniques like 3D laser scanning, multispectral imaging, and scanning electron microscopy, the team identified the fingerprint’s ridge patterns, bifurcations, and convergence points, conclusive evidence that it was deliberately made by a human hand, most likely that of a male Neanderthal.
The stone itself measures 21 centimetres and stands out from other items found in the same archaeological layer. It lacks any signs of being a tool and doesn't match the surrounding geology. Instead, it likely came from the River Eresma, around five kilometres away, suggesting it was deliberately brought to the shelter.
What truly sets this object apart is the arrangement of its features. There are two small indentations placed symmetrically above a larger central one, with a red ochre dot precisely located between them. Statistical analysis using Monte Carlo simulations showed there’s just a 0.31% chance that this layout occurred by accident, further supporting the idea that the stone was intentionally shaped to resemble a human face.
Photo Credit: D. Álvarez-Alonso et al., Archaeol Anthropol Sci (2025)
While opinions in the scientific community differ over whether this counts as symbolic art, the authors of the study argue that the deliberate placement of pigment and the choice of an unusual stone point towards intentional, non-utilitarian behaviour. As they put it: “It is not just a fingerprint; it is the signature of an individual who manipulated this object with a purpose that goes beyond the utilitarian.”
At a recent press conference, Spanish cultural official Gonzalo Santonja hailed the object as “the oldest portable painted item on the European continent” and “the only known example of portable art created by Neanderthals.”
This discovery adds to a growing body of evidence—from cave art at La Pasiega and Maltravieso, for instance—that challenges the old stereotype of Neanderthals as lacking imagination or symbolic thought. While the pebble doesn’t rival the artistry of early Homo sapiens found in places like Chauvet Cave in France, it still represents a major leap in our understanding of Neanderthal minds.
Whether this ochre-stained stone was created as part of a ritual, used as decoration, or simply intended as a personal mark, it sends a powerful message across tens of thousands of years: Neanderthals imagined, symbolised, and expressed themselves, just as we do.