Raw image showing the heavily graffitied western hall of the side chamber (top); same image with D-Stretch filter (bottom). Credit: Quaternary (2026). DOI: 10.3390/quat9030043
The oldest cave art in Britain may have been discovered, or more likely rediscovered, in a cave on the Gower Peninsula in South Wales, possibly dating back around 17,000 years.
The red stripe markings on the walls of a cave called Bacon Hole were first spotted in 1912. They were hailed by their finders, Professor William Sollas and Henri Breuil, as the first Paleolithic cave art in the British Isles. However, skeptics dismissed the discovery, arguing that the markings were merely natural mineral deposits.
Over time, the claim and subsequent debate drifted out of public consciousness and have largely been forgotten about. That was until scientists decided to reexamine the marks.
Their findings are published in the journal Quaternary.
Modern expeditions
An international team of researchers launched a series of expeditions to the cave between 2022 and 2024, splitting into two groups. One group analyzed the red pigment, and the other dated the rock layers covering it.
Bacon Hole cave panel sampling spot distribution. Credit: Quaternary (2026). DOI: 10.3390/quat9030043
To determine whether the markings were human-made or natural, archaeologists examined them in the cave using high-resolution cameras and a color-enhancing algorithm called D-stretch.
Next, they collected microscopic samples to study back in the lab. They used light and laser technologies, specifically ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy, to identify the chemical composition of the substance and confirm whether it was paint intentionally applied.
Meanwhile, the second team dated the white calcite crust that had naturally grown over the marks with a method called uranium-thorium dating. This would give the minimum age of the art underneath. The paint could not be dated directly because it is made of inorganic materials that do not contain the carbon needed for standard radiocarbon dating.
Paleolithic paintings?
The team’s analysis suggests that the red substance was real paint made from hematite, a natural iron oxide pigment, as they note in their paper. “The painted surface is considered a product of human agency, specifically applied hematite.”
The enhanced digital images revealed distinct patterns, such as finger dots and paint splashes, indicating the marks were left by humans.
The dating of the crust on top of the paint was less clear-cut. One sample from 2023 produced a minimum age of around 17,000 years, while other samples collected in 2024 suggest a younger crust deposited in the last few thousand years. The researchers explain this by noting that water has dripped down the cave wall over millennia, adding to the layers.
So, it appears the team has confirmed the presence of Britain’s oldest cave art; however, they remain cautious about the final timeline.
“On the face of it, the age of U-Th BH 4b represents a minimum age for the painting of 15.7 ka (at 95% confidence). However, we must maintain caution when accepting this date, which is currently based on a single analysis,” said the researchers.
Written for you by our author Paul Arnold, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive.
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More information
George H. Nash et al, Rediscovered Late Upper Palaeolithic Painted Imagery at Bacon Hole, Gower Peninsula, South Wales, Quaternary (2026). DOI: 10.3390/quat9030043
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Britain’s oldest cave art may have been rediscovered in Bacon Hole cave (2026, June 2)
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