Neanderthal Engravings Discovered in French Cave After 57,000 Years

The oldest known cave engravings in France, dating back at least 57,000 years to the age of Neanderthals, have been discovered in the Loire Valley. The designs are abstract but intentional, making a new and important contribution to our knowledge of Neanderthal behavior. The Roche-Cotard cave was discovered in 1846 but remained largely inaccessible until 1912, with extensive archaeological excavations beginning in 2008. Most of the images were traced by finger and represent non-figurative designs.