Neanderthals pioneers of high culture

Neanderthals, the extinct cousins of Homo sapiens once thought brutish and unintelligent, may have been artistic geniuses.

Using new dating techniques, researchers from Southampton University have learnt exquisite paintings, which include depictions of animals and geometric signs, in the Cave of La Pasiega in Cantabria, Spain, were made more than 64,000 years ago – 20,000 years before modern humans arrived in Europe.

“Neanderthals were much more sophisticated than is popularly believed,” said Dr Chris Standish.