---
title: "DNA on the Walls: How Cave Paintings Revealed the Genetic Mystery of Prehistoric Artists"
description: "Scientists have extracted DNA from ancient people directly from cave walls for the first time! 🧬🏔️ Analyzing traces of saliva and sweat on rock art allowed them to determine the gender and origin of the authors. This discovery changes our understanding of how we study the history of prehistoric people. 🖌️🔬"
date: 2026-07-05T16:14:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/dna-on-the-walls-how-cave-paintings-revealed-the-genetic-mystery-of-prehistoric-artists
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# DNA on the Walls: How Cave Paintings Revealed the Genetic Mystery of Prehistoric Artists

![Cave painting depicting deer and human figures, where scientists discovered DNA of ancient artists](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/06/dnk-na-stenah-peshernye-risunki-razglyadili-geneticheskuyu-tainu-pervobytnyh-hudozhnikov/dnk-na-stenah-peshernye-risunki-razglyadili-geneticheskuyu-tainu-pervobytnyh-hudozhnikov-1.webp)

The history of humanity is recorded not only in books and chronicles but also on the stone walls of ancient caves. For a long time, scientists could only analyze pigments and date rock art, but could not touch the creator themselves. However, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Germany), together with colleagues from Spain and Portugal, have made a breakthrough: for the first time in the world, they managed to extract authentic DNA of ancient people directly from cave walls.

The results of the sensational study were published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications. The project, named First Art, initially set out to analyze paints and determine the age of the oldest paintings. But the scientists went further, testing the hypothesis that ultra-sensitive modern technologies are capable of detecting microscopic traces of biological fluids.

### Traces on Stone

Prehistoric artists used unique techniques for applying images. Paint was often blown through bone tubes, leaving saliva traces, or hands were simply pressed against the rock, leaving sweat traces. It was these biological markers that became the target of the search.

The team of specialists carried out extensive work, examining 24 wall panels in 11 caves. 54 samples were collected, including encrustation, clean rock, and sediment. Statistics showed that high-quality genetic material could be isolated from only 5 samples, but their analysis yielded fundamental results.

### A Pure Human Trace

One of the most significant discoveries was a sample taken in the Portuguese cave of Escoural. Analysis of the pigmented calcite crust showed the presence of exclusively human DNA without any animal genetic admixtures. This became irrefutable evidence that the genetic material got onto the wall precisely through direct contact with human bodily fluids — whether saliva or sweat.

Even more surprising was the discovery on "bare" walls. Ancient DNA was found on rock sections in the Escoural and Covarrón (Spain) caves, which were initially considered only as control points for comparison where there were no drawings. This confirms that the cave walls themselves became durable archives of human presence.

### Gender and Era of Ancient People

Genetic analysis allowed scientists not only to confirm the fact of human presence but also to determine their affiliation with certain groups. DNA from the Covarrón cave clearly indicated that the authors of the rock traces were Western European hunter-gatherers.

Of particular interest is the gender composition of the group. In three samples, female DNA prevailed, and in one — male. This discovery opens new horizons for anthropologists: now it is possible to discuss whether there was a division of cave zones between men and women and which specific groups penetrated deep into the cave systems.

The age of the found DNA is estimated at a minimum of 2000 years. However, considering the history of the Escoural cave, the minimum age of some genetic profiles may reach 4000–5000 years.

### Technological Traps

Despite the success, the study also showed the limitations of the new methodology. Scientists tried to extract DNA from a unique prehistoric tool — an airbrush made of bird bone, found in the famous Altamira cave, which was once used to blow ochre. However, the ancient genetic material was not preserved there.

The reason lies in modern interference. After decades of research and countless touches by archaeologists, the ancient evolutionary trace was completely overlaid by the genetic material of our contemporaries. This serves as an important lesson on the need for careful handling of artifacts.

Currently, the priority for the team is to improve the technology of minimally invasive sample collection. Scientists are looking for caves with ideal microclimatic conditions for preserving molecules, especially places where ancient human palm prints have been preserved, which could become the key to understanding the lives of our distant ancestors.