THE TRUE ARTISTS OF ANCIENT EUROPE

Cave Art Paintings Lascaux Cave, France

Imagine stepping back in time, not just thousands, but tens of thousands of years. Picture the rugged landscapes of Ice Age Europe, teeming with mammoths and saber-toothed cats. Now, imagine the people who inhabited this world, who left behind an artistic legacy so profound it still captivates us today: the breathtaking cave paintings of France and Spain.

For generations, our mental image of these "Cro-Magnons"  -  the early Homo sapiens of Europe - often mirrored what we see around us today: fair-skinned individuals. But science, particularly the revolutionary field of ancient DNA analysis, is painting a much more accurate and interesting picture.

The Journey Begins in Africa

Our story starts some 70,000 years ago, as our direct ancestors, Homo sapiens, began their incredible journey out of Africa. This migration wasn't a single event but a gradual expansion, with the Levant (the eastern Mediterranean region) serving as a crucial bridge between continents. These early humans, having evolved under the intense African sun, were undoubtedly dark-skinned. This deep pigmentation was an important and vital adaptation, protecting them from harmful UV radiation and ensuring the production of essential Vitamin D.

As these pioneers ventured into new territories, including Europe, they carried these genetic traits with them. The idea that skin color instantly changed upon entering a new climate is a myth. Evolution works much more slowly.

Here comes Cheddar Man!

Fast forward to about 10,000 years ago. In a cave in Somerset, England, lived a man whose remains, discovered in 1903, would eventually shatter long-held assumptions. He's known as Cheddar Man. For decades, reconstructions depicted him with light skin.

Then, in 2018, DNA analysis revealed the truth: Cheddar Man had dark to "dark-to-black" skin, along with blue eyes and dark, curly hair. He was a hunter-gatherer living at the very end of the last Ice Age, an indigenous European whose appearance was dramatically different from the prevalent modern European phenotype. This groundbreaking discovery, supported by other ancient DNA studies across Europe, confirmed that the widespread prevalence of light skin in Europe is a relatively recent phenomenon, emerging primarily with the arrival of later waves of farmers and pastoralists from the Middle East and the Pontic-Caspian Steppe, thousands of years after Cheddar Man.

The Artists of Lascaux and Altamira

Altamira Cave, Spain

So, what does this mean for the creators of those awe-inspiring cave paintings?

Consider the timing: the golden age of European cave art, found in sites like Lascaux in France and Altamira in Spain, occurred primarily between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago. This period perfectly aligns with the time when Cheddar Man and his genetic relatives roamed the continent.

Therefore, the hands that meticulously etched and painted those incredibly beautiful images of bison, horses, mammoths, and enigmatic symbols onto the cave walls were almost certainly dark-skinned. These first artists of Europe were not pale-faced figures, but people whose appearance would have been indistinguishable from their African ancestors.

This revelation is more than just a detail about skin color. It's a powerful reminder that human ingenuity, artistic brilliance, and complex thought are universal. It challenges preconceived notions and enriches our understanding of the diverse tapestry of humanity that has shaped our world from its very beginnings. The legacy of these dark-skinned pioneers, their profound connection to the natural world, and their breathtaking artistic expression continue to resonate with us, thousands of years later, inviting us to look beyond pigment and appreciate the shared humanity that binds us all. What´s the problem with that?

Thanks for reading. Abrazos.

Diego Rojas