AI interpretationAI-generated
Can cave art preserve the DNA of its ancient creators?
Researchers tested DNA in pigment and wall samples from 24 rock art panels in 11 caves across Spain and Portugal. At Escoural Cave, they found ancient human mitochondrial and nuclear DNA on a pigmented calcite crust and an unpigmented wall sample, with no animal DNA, suggesting direct human contact. Other unpigmented samples contained mixed human and animal DNA, indicating indirect deposition. The study shows human DNA can persist on cave walls for thousands of years, though it does not prove a direct link to the art's creation.
- Ancient human mitochondrial and nuclear DNA was recovered from a pigmented calcite crust and an unpigmented wall sample at Escoural Cave in Portugal.
- The absence of faunal DNA in those two samples suggests direct DNA deposition through human contact.
- Three other unpigmented samples from Escoural and Covarón Caves yielded mixtures of human and faunal DNA, indicating indirect deposition.
Sample interpretation
The site sample count is 4, all associated with Palaeolithic culture. Y-chromosome resolution is 0, so no paternal haplogroups are reported. Mitochondrial DNA includes H4a1a4b (n=2), HV (n=1), and H4a1 (n=1). Samples come from two sites: SP.C.6813_ss (n=2) and SP.C.5547_ds (n=2). These mtDNA lineages are common in present-day and ancient European populations, but the small sample size limits broader conclusions.
For genealogy enthusiasts
For ancestry enthusiasts, this study shows that cave walls and rock art can preserve ancient human DNA, potentially offering a new source of genetic material beyond bones and sediments. However, the limited sample and lack of Y-chromosome data mean any population links remain tentative. It highlights both the promise and the challenges of using rock art for ancient DNA research.
Abstract
Previous efforts to link Palaeolithic cultural records to specific populations through DNA analysis have focused on materials from archaeological floor deposits such as bones, sediments, and artefacts. In this study, we explore whether rock art, a spatially distinct expression of human activity, can also preserve DNA traces from its creators. We analyse DNA preservation in pigment samples collected in and around 24 rock art panels from 11 caves across Spain and Portugal, including simple marks (from nine sites), hand stencils (Maltravieso Cave, Extremadura, Spain), and figurative paintings (Cave of Altamira, Cantabria, Spain). We recover traces of ancient human mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, unaccompanied by faunal DNA, from a pigmented calcite crust at Escoural Cave (Portugal), as well as from an unpigmented cave wall sample from the same site. The absence of faunal DNA in both samples suggests direct DNA deposition through human contact. In contrast, three additional unpigmented samples, from Escoural and Covarón Cave (Asturias, Spain), yielded mixtures of human and faunal DNA, suggesting indirect deposition. Although our results do not conclusively link ancient human DNA preservation to the generation of cave art, we show that traces of human DNA can persist on cave walls for thousands of years.