Oldest Prehistoric Rock Art Found in Welsh Cave
Painted rock art uncovered in a cave in Wales has been confirmed as the oldest known in Britain. The artwork consists of 10 red horizontal stripes located on the wall of a side chamber within Bacon Hole cave, situated in Gower, Swansea. Initially discovered in 1912, the markings were later dismissed as a natural occurrence.
Recent scientific advancements have enabled archaeologists to date the rock art to at least 17,100 years ago, establishing it as the oldest in north-western Europe as well.
Archaeologist and prehistoric art expert George Nash suggested that the artwork may have functioned as a "communication system," though its precise meaning remains beyond current understanding.
According to Nash, during the period when the cave art was created, the area now known as the Bristol Channel was a fertile plateau connecting Gower and the north Devon coast. This environment served as a vital summer feeding ground for animals such as mammoths, bison, horses, elk, and reindeer, attracting hunter-gatherer groups to the region.
It is believed these groups utilized some of the 95 caves along the Gower Peninsula facing the Bristol Channel, where stone tools have been discovered during archaeological excavations.
At that time, average summer temperatures were approximately -10°C (14°F) across a treeless landscape marked by melting water as glaciers retreated toward central Wales.
While the discovery has been celebrated as a significant rediscovery, the meaning behind the art remains enigmatic.
Nash, an associate professor at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, and a research fellow at Liverpool University, stated:
"We, in our 21st Century mindset, call it art, but at 17,100 years ago BP (before present), it probably was a communication system, for example... It's something which is way beyond our comprehension, and that's the big problem. We can't work that one out. I mean, if we were to find a lot more panels like it, then we could start making quite important about it, but as yet, we've found nothing."
Speaking on Radio Wales, Nash proposed that the horizontal bands might represent "tally marks," possibly indicating the number of years people had spent at the cave.
There is also speculation that additional prehistoric art may lie beneath graffiti painted by a local fisherman in the late 1800s on the opposite side of the cave.
In 1928, the initial discovery of the rock art was dismissed as "red oxide mineral seeping through the rock and not prehistoric art," according to a report by at the time.
The artwork was rediscovered in 2022 after decades of being overlooked by archaeologists, partly due to a calcite flow covering the painting, which made it difficult to see.
Uranium-thorium dating techniques were applied to analyze the pigments, leading the international research team led by Nash to conclude that the lines were created by "human agency" rather than natural processes.
While the bands have been dated to 17,100 years old, the mineral layer over the painting suggests the finger painting could be even older.
Nash remarked:
"I was taken aback that we were able to date it and analyse the pigments. This is an exciting rediscovery, significant in understanding what was going on in Wales in the deep past."
Location and Protection of Bacon Hole Cave
Bacon Hole cave is located within the limestone cliffs of south Gower, overlooking the Bristol Channel, and is managed by National Trust Cymru.
Despite being situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty, the cave is not currently protected as a scheduled monument. Archaeologists advocate for its designation to ensure preservation.
Nash noted that a steel grill has been installed at the side chamber to prevent vandalism, allowing only the resident bats to access the painting.
The discovery at Bacon Hole follows Nash’s earlier find of a reindeer engraving on a nearby cave wall, which was confirmed in 2012 as the oldest known rock art in Britain at that time. This image, located in Cathole Cave approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Bacon Hole, dates back at least 14,000 years.
Research Collaboration and Significance
The research was conducted by First Art, a consortium of scientists and academics from institutions including the universities of Southampton and Swansea, with support from the National Trust and the Bradshaw Foundation.
David Thomas, archaeologist for National Trust Cymru, commented on the discovery:
"We always knew Bacon Hole was an extraordinary Palaeolithic site - but to discover that the oldest cave art in Britain lies here in Wales is very exciting. To imagine people standing on this very coastline over 17,000 years ago, carving their marks into the rock and transforming the places they lived through art, is profoundly moving. We're hugely grateful to Dr Nash and the First Art team for revealing this hidden chapter of our past and deepening our understanding of the remarkable places we care for on Gower."
