Hidden charcoal reveals the true age of ancient cave paintings
Scientists have precisely dated ancient cave paintings in France for the first time by finding hidden charcoal in pigments previously thought to contain only minerals.
A new analysis has precisely dated paintings in France’s Font-de-Gaume cave for the first time. Scientists discovered charcoal inside black pigments once thought to contain only minerals, allowing them to use radiocarbon dating. The results show that a bison was painted about 13,000 years ago, while sections of a mask-like figure were added during several widely separated periods.
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