Researchers Recover Ancient Human DNA from 24 Iberian Cave Art Panels

Q: Ancient handprints hold DNA secrets. Can they reveal if artists were men or women?

Not yet—at least not from this study’s handprints. The new research shows that ancient human DNA can survive on cave walls for thousands of years, and in some cases that DNA can reveal biological sex. Scientists recovered authentic human DNA from several cave-wall samples in Spain and Portugal and were able to identify some as predominantly female-derived and one as predominantly male-derived. That proves the method can work in principle. But the key limitation is that the rock art samples themselves did not provide enough evidence to identify the sex of the artists. The only rock art sample that yielded clear ancient human DNA was a pigmented calcite crust at Escoural Cave, and researchers said it did not contain sufficient data for sex determination. Hand stencil samples, including those from Maltravieso Cave, did not yield usable ancient human DNA at all. There is also a deeper problem: even when DNA is found on or near art, scientists cannot yet be sure it came from the person who made it. It may have been left by someone who touched or visited the wall long after the image was created. Researchers describe this as a “chronological decoupling” problem. So the answer is that ancient handprints could eventually help reveal whether artists were male or female, because sex can be determined from ancient DNA when preservation is good enough. But this study did not identify the sex of handprint makers or cave artists directly.

3 articles · Updated · Nature.com · Jun 23

Ancient human mitochondrial and nuclear DNA was recovered from cave walls in Spain and Portugal, including one pigmented calcite crust at Escoural Cave and four nearby unpigmented wall samples.
The study tested 54 samples from 24 rock art panels across 11 caves and found authentic ancient human DNA in only one pigmented sample, suggesting painted surfaces rarely preserve detectable DNA for thousands of years.
At Escoural, the pigmented sample contained human DNA but no faunal DNA, which researchers said points to direct human contact; three other wall samples mixed human and animal DNA, indicating likely indirect deposition from sediments or water.
Nuclear DNA from two Covarón wall samples clustered with western hunter-gatherers, while site history suggests some Escoural wall DNA is at least 4,000 to 5,000 years old.
The authors said the findings expand ancient DNA sources beyond bones, artifacts and sediments, but do not yet prove the recovered DNA came from the artists who made the cave art.

Sources

Nature.com2d ago

Ancient Human DNA Recovered from Cave Walls and Rock Art in Spain and Portugal

Phys.org2d ago

Human DNA can survive on cave walls for thousands of years, opening new window into prehistory

EurekAlert2d ago

Ancient DNA found on cave walls | EurekAlert!

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Can DNA from cave walls finally prove who created the world's most ancient art?

Ancient handprints hold DNA secrets. Can they reveal if artists were men or women?

Unlocking Prehistoric Secrets: First Recovery of Ancient Human DNA from Iberian Cave Walls

Overview

In June 2026, scientists achieved a major breakthrough by recovering ancient human DNA directly from the surfaces of prehistoric rock art panels on the Iberian Peninsula. This discovery, led by the First Art project, established cave walls as new biological archives for studying prehistoric populations. Previously, researchers could only analyze ancient DNA from bones, teeth, or sediments, making it hard to link cave art to specific people. By using advanced sampling and sequencing methods, the team collected samples from 24 rock art panels, opening up new ways to connect ancient art with the people who created or visited these sites.

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