Experts speculate rock found in Spain has one of the oldest markings in the history of humanity: 200,000 years old
A boulder with incisions that may date back hundreds of thousands of years has sparked huge interest in the scientific community.
A boulder excavated recently at an archaeological site in Spain has sparked significant interest in the scientific community.
What appeared at first glance to be just another ancient piece of rock might actually bear one of the oldest symbolic expressions ever identified in Europe.
A block of gabbro with two visible parallel incisions on one of its faces, the boulder was found in 2022 alongside stone tools characteristic of the Lower Paleolithic era, a period spanning from 2.5 million to 300,000 years ago.
The stone was discovered during a dig at the Coto Correa archaeological site near Marbella, in southern Spain. According to experts, preliminary analyses of the markings suggest that they did not occur naturally.
“This is not just a scratch”
Researchers believe the marks may have been made by an early species of humans that inhabited the region during a still poorly documented stage of Iberian prehistory.
“This is not just a scratch,” noted one of the excavation leaders. “The symmetry and depth of the incisions indicate a deliberate act.”
The significance of the discovery lies not only in its age but also in its potential cognitive implications. If it is confirmed that the marks were made with a symbolic or communicative purpose, we could be looking at an early example of abstract thought, a capability long considered exclusive to modern humans.
This finding may indicate that ancestral human species, such as the Neanderthals or Denisovans, already possessed advanced symbolic capabilities, challenging established knowledge about the evolution of the human mind.
The Marbella find is the latest in a series of similar discoveries around the world.
What other finds have there been in recent years?
In recent years, comparable markings have been documented: intentional engravings on bone found in northern China, dated to over 100,000 years ago; fossilized handprints on the Tibetan Plateau, possibly made by children, estimated to be 170,000 years old; and geometric marks in South African caves attributed to Homo naledi, over 240,000 years old.
These findings, still debated within the scientific community, could lead to a profound reexamination of our understanding of the origins of art, symbolism and language.
Currently, the Coto Correa boulder is undergoing a series of laboratory tests. Techniques such as digital microscopy, use-wear analysis, 3D scanning and stratigraphic dating studies are being employed to confirm both the exact age of the incisions and the intentionality behind them.
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