Neanderthals' Ancient Art: Oldest Engravings Found in French Cave.

Researchers in France claim that finger marks on the walls of La Roche-Cotard Cave are Neanderthal engravings, made around 57,000 years ago. The marks were made by fingers “digging” into the soft rock, not use of tools or pigments. The finger-flutings appear in eight separate panels inside the cave and are “unambiguous examples of Neanderthal abstract design”. The discovery suggests early symbolic abilities among Neanderthals and strengthens the claims of spiritual and material culture in the Late Stone Age, whether among sapiens and Neanderthals.