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17,000-Year-Old Stripes of Red in a Welsh Cave Are the Oldest Rock Art in the UK, Study Finds

Researchers say finger-applied red stripes in Bacon Hole were made 17,100 years ago and likely served as symbolic communication.

  • On Monday, researchers identified 11 red lines in Wales's Bacon Hole cave as Britain's oldest known rock art, dating to 17,100 years ago, according to a study published in the journal Quaternary.
  • Initially discovered in 1912 by William Sollas, geologist and anthropologist, and Henri Breuil, anthropologist, the lines were dismissed as natural mineral seepage in 1928 before being rediscovered in 2022.
  • Uranium-Thorium dating and high-definition photography verified the markings were created by human agency, with equidistant horizontal lines indicating "indicating a deliberate and structured pattern," the researchers wrote in the study.
  • David Thomas, National Trust Cymru archaeologist, called the discovery "very exciting," while experts urge officials to designate Bacon Hole a scheduled monument for legal protection.
  • The discovery surpasses the 14,500-year-old reindeer art previously found at Cathole Cave, providing insight into the "treeless landscape" inhabited by Paleolithic hunter-gatherers during the Ice Age retreat.
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ZN.UA Зеркало недели broke the news in Kyiv, Ukraine on Monday, June 1, 2026.
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