Striped rock dismissed in 1928 reclassified as UK’s oldest cave art

In 1912 professors William Sollas and Henri Breuil reported Palaeolithic rock art on the walls of Bacon Hole, a cave near the Mumbles in south Wales. The painted panel’s authenticity was dismissed by 1928 as a natural phenomenon — "red oxide mineral seeping through the rock and not prehistoric art." New analysis has now proved the original report correct.

Archaeologists used uranium-thorium dating on the pigments and found the marks were created 17,100 years ago, making them the oldest rock art in the British Isles and north-western Europe. Dr George Nash, who led the international team, said: "This is the earliest prehistoric art we have in Britain." He added that the team were able to date and analyse the pigments using methods not available in 1928.

Archaeometric work revealed a "pigment recipe" of calcite, consistent with the limestone geology, and clay residues.

United Kingdom, Mumbles, South Wales

rock art, palaeolithic, bacon hole, mumbles, william sollas, henri breuil, uranium-thorium, george nash, calcite, british isles