Ancient cave paintings can harbor human DNA for millennia, scientists find

Ancient human DNA found on cave art for the first time

DNA from ancient humans has been found on a prehistoric cave painting and on cave walls, demonstrating the potential to one day identify individual artists and resolve the debate over Neanderthals' artistic abilities

In a Scientific First, Researchers Recovered Ancient DNA That Humans Left Behind on Rock Art and Cave Walls

DNA preservation on cave walls is highly variable, but scientists say their work is an important step on the path toward gaining a deeper understanding of our creative ancestors

2,000-year-old human DNA found in caves in Spain, Portugal

An international team of researchers has discovered human DNA at least 2,000 years old on cave walls in Portugal and Spain, providing the first evidence that cave walls can preserve human genetic material for thousands of years.

For the first time, scientists have recovered ancient DNA left behind on cave walls and rock art, opening a new way to study the people who made prehistoric art thousands of years ago

In an extraordinary breakthrough, researchers have isolated ancient human DNA from prehistoric cave paintings found in Spain and Portugal. Published in Nature Communications, this pioneering work opens doors to identifying the creators of these works, including their gender and lineage. The DNA seems to have seeped through bodily fluids, giving us a fascinating link to the artists who crafted these enduring relics thousands of years ago.

Genetic tests underway on remains found in Ilkhanid royal cemetery

TEHRAN - Iranian archaeologists have begun genetic analysis of human remains uncovered in newly excavated Ilkhanid-era royal tombs near the UNESCO-listed Dome of Soltaniyeh in northwestern Iran, as researchers seek to identify members of the ruling dynasty buried at the site, officials said.