A recent study on the cave paintings of the Altamira Cave in Santillana del Mar, Cantabria (Spain) has concluded that some of the artworks it contains could be much older than previously believed, dating back more than 30,000 years.

Although the cave was discovered more than 140 years ago, the exact chronology of the artworks it contains has been a subject of debate among experts. Now, an international team of scientists has used advanced dating techniques to more precisely determine when they were created.

The study, which involved researchers from China, Spain, Portugal, and other countries, focused on analyzing small carbonate crusts that formed over the paintings. These crusts, similar to the calcite layers seen in some caves forming stalactites and stalagmites, act as a kind of “time capsule,” as their formation can be dated, thereby establishing a minimum age for the paintings they cover.

Altamira paintings datation
Location of the samples obtained on the ceiling of the Polychrome Hall. Credit: Gin Geomatics / Alfredo Prada / Museum of Altamira

Innovative Techniques to Date the Art

To avoid damaging the paintings, the scientists took minimal samples of these crusts using sterilized scalpels. They then applied a method known as “uranium-series dating,” which measures the natural decay of chemical elements in the samples to calculate their age. This method is less invasive than others like radiocarbon dating, which requires destroying part of the pigment.

The result of one of the samples, taken near a nail-shaped symbol, showed a minimum age of 32,790 years, indicating that the symbol was created during the Aurignacian period, one of the earliest phases of the Upper Paleolithic. Other samples, taken from red-painted horse pigments, showed minimum ages of 22,600 and 32,020 years, indicating that they were made during the Gravettian period or even earlier.

These dates match previous studies, but for the first time, they have been obtained in an independent laboratory, which strengthens their validity. Additionally, the team corrected possible errors caused by impurities in the samples, making the results even more reliable.

Altamira paintings datation
Sample ALT22-SP1B. (Claviform motif ALT.IV.I.1.59). a. Overview of the figure with the location of the sampled area; b. Detail of the sampled area before sample extraction; c. Area after sample extraction. The red pigment can be observed beneath the calcite crust. Credit: Alfredo Prada / Museum of Altamira

What Does This Mean for the History of Art?

The new data confirms the theory that the art in Altamira Cave was not created at a single moment, but over thousands of years. Different generations of prehistoric artists left their mark in the cave, from the earliest abstract symbols to the famous polychrome animal paintings of the Magdalenian period (around 14,000 years ago).

The researchers found that from very early stages, realistic figures, such as the red horses, coexisted in the cave with abstract symbols, contradicting the old theory that figurative art emerged after symbolic representations. Both styles coexisted from the beginnings of the Upper Paleolithic, the study states.

The results confirm that the method is reliable and that the dates previously published were correct, the team explains. This is crucial not only for Altamira but also for other cave art sites around the world where similar techniques are applied.

The cave was closed to the public in 2002 to protect its paintings, and today only limited access is allowed for experts, although a replica cave outside can be visited.

SOURCES

Qingfeng Shao, Carmen de las Heras, et al., Art in red: New dates for paintings in the Cave of Altamira, Santillana del Mar, Spain. Journal of Archaeological Science, Volume 179, July 2025, 106235. doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2025.106235

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