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3mo ago

Forensic Police Authenticate 43,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Fingerprint in Spain

Researchers applied advanced imaging to confirm the oldest complete hominin fingerprint embedded in red pigment

Researchers discovered the pebble in the San Lázaro rock shelter in Segovia, Spain.
A. Experts used an Automated Biometric Identification System to study the print. These images show characteristic points detected by the system that coincide with the central part of a finger. B. Characteristic points identified here coincide with the palm.
A. The object before being fully excavated; B. Once unearthed, it is possible to appreciate the three main cavities and the central position of the red dot.
Image

Overview

  • The eight-inch quartz-rich pebble was unearthed in July 2022 at San Lázaro rock shelter in Segovia and carbon-dated to about 43,000 years old.
  • A red ocher dot applied to the naturally face-shaped stone contains a full adult male Neanderthal fingerprint.
  • Madrid’s forensic police corps used multispectral imaging and crime-scene techniques to isolate and verify the ancient print.
  • Unlike other artifacts at the site, the pebble shows no functional use and appears to have been deliberately selected for its face-like features.
  • The discovery bolsters evidence that Neanderthals engaged in abstract thinking and symbolic art, narrowing the perceived cognitive gap with modern humans.