Recently, in the northwestern part of Argentina, in the Cueva Huenul cave, archaeologists discovered about 900 rock paintings, which are now considered to be among the oldest in the world. Among them are images of animals and people, geometric patterns.
science.org
According to research, one of the motifs in this cave is a comb pattern that appeared about 8,200 years ago. Since rock paintings were previously thought to have appeared within the last few thousand years, this is the oldest example.
At present, the interpretation of this comb remains unclear, but researchers continue their work. They believe that its use in cave painting can shed light on the lives of the prehistoric peoples of Patagonia.
science.org
The researchers add that cave artists have been reproducing the same pattern in black pigment for thousands of years. In their opinion, this design was probably used for communication between people in the conditions of climate change.
For archaeologists, this discovery is not only a proof of the ancient presence of people in this territory, but also a key factor for understanding their way of life, beliefs and the development of art.
science.org
Archaeologists have turned to the radiocarbon dating method to study rock paintings. To determine the age, they extracted small fragments of black pigment from the drawings. A pigment created from vegetable matter, probably charred wood.
This discovery highlights the importance of preserving archaeological sites and protecting them from destruction or contamination. Argentina's cave paintings bear witness to a rich human history and require attention and protection so that this knowledge can be passed on to future generations.
Source: science.org
