Striped rock dismissed as natural in 1928 reclassified as UK’s oldest cave art
A painted panel in Bacon Hole, south Wales, has been reclassified as the UK's oldest cave art, dating back 17,100 years. Initially dismissed as a natural phenomenon in 1928, recent scientific analysis has confirmed its authenticity. This discovery sheds light on prehistoric human activity in the region during a significant climatic transition.
- ▪The painted panel was originally discovered in 1912 but was deemed inauthentic by 1928.
- ▪New analysis using uranium-thorium dating has confirmed the artwork's age as 17,100 years.
- ▪The research team concluded that the painted lines were intentionally created by humans, not natural processes.
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| Original publisher | the Guardian |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/01/striped-rock-dismissed-as-natural-reclassified-uk-oldest-cave-art-mumbles-south-wales |
| Publication time | Mon, 01 Jun 2026 06:00:10 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-06-01T06:40:25.778Z |
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The painted panel pictured in 1913 (left) and 2024. Photograph: George NashView image in fullscreenThe painted panel pictured in 1913 (left) and 2024. Photograph: George NashPalaeontologyStriped rock dismissed as natural in 1928 reclassified as UK’s oldest cave artScientific dating proves streaks on walls of Bacon Hole, near the Mumbles in south Wales, is Palaeolithic rock artDalya AlbergeMon 1 Jun 2026 02.00 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleIn 1912, the Guardian reported on the discovery of Palaeolithic rock art on the walls of Bacon Hole, a cave near the Mumbles in south Wales – only for the painted panel’s authenticity to be dismissed by 1928.A series of horizontal bands in red pigment were subsequently deemed no more than a natural phenomenon and the newspaper added an updated…
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