Neanderthal ladder symbol dated to 64,000 years ago

A ladder-shaped symbol tucked within the walls of Cueva de La Pasiega was the subject of uranium-thorium dating in 2018. The study suggested this mark might date back more than 64,000 years, implying it was made by Neanderthals rather than modern humans. While this dating and the possibility of Neanderthal cave art are disputed based on physical-chemical evidence, the find remains a significant point of discussion in the study of Paleolithic art.

The cave is located in the Pas River valley near Puente Viesgo, functioning as a massive gallery exceeding 120 meters in length. It belongs to the Monte Castillo complex, a sequence of caves offering an amazingly complete series of Old Stone Age material culture. Although the primary art belongs to the Upper Solutrean and Lower Magdalenian ages, the labyrinth of galleries is filled with detailed figures of horses, deer, and cattle.

The site was investigated systematically by researchers including Henri Breuil and Hugo Obermaier, with a separate monograph published in 1913. The study was crucial to advance prehistoric science in Spain. Because it contained remains of the primary Cantabrian Solutrean and Magdalenian epochs, it provided the basis for a chronological series for the region's rock art.

On the plan proposed by André Leroi-Gourhan, La Pasiega is a good example of the "Cave as Sanctuary." It features a spatial hierarchy where principal groups of animals, such as cattle facing horses, occupy the most conspicuous areas. These are complemented by secondary animals like deer and goats, while abstract symbols typically appear in peripheral or marginal areas that are more difficult to reach.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons