The debate over who made the earliest cave art is heating up

In the sixth episode of our Stones & Bones video series, National Geographic digital editor Nicholas St. Fleur investigates a 65,000-year-old mystery: who made the earliest cave art in Europe?

History · Stones & Bones · By Nicholas St. Fleur · Published July 27, 2026 · 1 min read

Topics: Cave Art, Human Ancestors, Paleoanthropology, Genetics, Embedded Video, Stones & Bones, History & Culture

Were Neanderthals Europe’s first painters? And did they use cave walls as their canvases? Scientists long thought that Homo sapiens—like us—were the only human species capable of creating artwork in caves. But in recent years, suspiciously old rock art found in caves throughout Spain, like the 65,000-year-old red lines in the Cave of La Pasiega, has led some to wonder if our extinct cousins were the artists instead. The findings left many experts wondering if our extinct cousins were the artists behind these prehistoric masterpieces. Now, researchers are hoping ancient DNA will hold the answer. In this episode of Stones & Bones, our paleontology and archaeology video series, we look at how scientists—led by National Geographic Explorer Genevieve von Petzinger and paleogeneticist Alba Bossoms Mesa—are using CSI forensic tools to investigate whether Neanderthals made cave art. And if that piques your interest, check out more of our coverage of this astounding breakthrough: In a first, scientists extract ancient human DNA from cave walls Solving one of humanity’s oldest ‘missing person’ cases Nicholas St. Fleur is a digital science editor at National Geographic based in Washington D.C. He covers archaeology, paleontology, and ancient human origins.

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