Charcoal Hidden in Pigment Reveals Age of Font-de-Gaume Cave Paintings

For the first time, prehistoric artworks in the Font-de-Gaume cave have been dated by French researchers, including CNRS scientist Ina Reiche. Their findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicate that the black pigments in the paintings consist of charcoal blended with mineral substances. Utilizing non-invasive methods such as Raman microspectrometry and hyperspectral imaging, the team radiocarbon dated microscopic samples from two artworks. One sample was determined to be from 13,461 to 13,162 years ago during the Upper Paleolithic, while the other yielded dates between 8,590 and 15,981 years ago, suggesting various phases of creation or alteration. This research marks the first absolute dating of the cave's artistic expressions and underscores the value of chemical imaging and radiocarbon techniques in cultural heritage.