Ancient Rock Markings in Wales Confirmed as Oldest Cave Art in Northwestern Europe
A set of red stripes in Bacon Hole, a cave in south Wales, has been confirmed as Britain's earliest known cave art, dating back approximately 17,100 years. Initially discovered in 1912 and later dismissed as natural mineral deposits, recent testing by an international team led by Dr. George Nash has verified the markings as human-made. Using uranium-thorium dating, the team determined that the pigment is a mix of calcite and clay, applied intentionally by humans. The cave art, consisting of evenly spaced horizontal lines, may have served as a communication system for hunter-fisher-gatherers, possibly as tally marks indicating the duration of the cave's use. 
