Scientists directly date prehistoric cave paintings at Font-de-Gaume in France
Scientists have directly dated prehistoric cave paintings at the Font-de-Gaume site in southwestern France for the first time, determining that a bison figure was created between 13,461 and 13,162 years ago. The findings, published on March 9 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, challenge long standing assumptions about the pigments used in one of Europe’s most renowned Paleolithic art sites.
Font-de-Gaume, located in the Dordogne region, has been known since its discovery in 1902 for its depictions of bison, horses, and other large animals. For decades, researchers believed the images were produced exclusively with inorganic pigments such as iron and manganese oxides, materials that cannot be dated using radiocarbon techniques. Until recently, no study had conclusively confirmed whether carbon based materials were present in the paintings.
The breakthrough originated in February 2020 during research led by Ina Reiche, a chemist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research. Her team used noninvasive analytical methods, including Raman microspectrometry, portable X-ray fluorescence, and hyperspectral imaging, to examine two black drawings: a bison and an abstract mask-like figure.
The analysis revealed traces of charcoal within the black pigments. Because the charcoal was distributed consistently along the painted lines, the researchers ruled out contamination from modern visitors or graffiti. The cave has been open to the public for more than 120 years.
Reiche said the discovery provided the first experimental evidence confirming that the paintings are genuinely Paleolithic.
After establishing that the pigments contained carbon, French authorities granted special permission to collect extremely small pigment samples from the UNESCO World Heritage site. The research team extracted four micro samples, one from the bison and three from different parts of the mask figure.
Using accelerator mass spectrometry, the scientists measured carbon 14 concentrations in the samples. The bison drawing was dated to between 13,461 and 13,162 calibrated years before present. This result is somewhat more recent than earlier estimates based solely on stylistic comparisons, which suggested the paintings were between 18,000 and 16,000 years old.
Samples from parts of the mask figure yielded dates between about 15,981 and 14,246 years ago. However, one sample from the mask’s left eye produced a significantly younger date between 8,993 and 8,590 years ago. Researchers suggested this discrepancy could reflect later retouching, contamination, or graffiti.
Archaeologist Inés Domingo Sanz of the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, who was not involved in the study, described the work as an example of responsible sampling of ancient rock art. She noted that obtaining direct dates is crucial for linking artwork to specific periods in prehistory.
The method could now be applied to other decorated caves in the Dordogne region, which contains more than 200 Paleolithic archaeological sites. Among them is the famous Lascaux cave, where direct dating of the paintings has also proven difficult.
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