World's Oldest Hashtag

Photo: John Cummings

In Gorham's Cave...

... on the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar has been discovered what is believed to be a Neanderthal abstract engraving in the rock under 39,000 years of detritus amid a collection of some 300 Neanderthal tools.

Photo: Stewart Finlayson, Gibraltar Museum

The experts that know such things say that it is an intentional carving, not the byproduct of some other activity like cutting meat.

“The production of purposely made painted or engraved designs on cave walls is recognised as a major cognitive step in human evolution, considered exclusive to modern humans.” National Academy of Sciences

This discovery is forcing academics to rethink our perception of Neanderthals as is the discovery that anywhere from 1-4% of the DNA in Eurasians is Neanderthal DNA. Live Science   The last interbreeding between modern humans and Neanderthals is believed to have occurred perhaps as recently as 37,000 years ago.