The Cave Paintings Experts Once Called a Hoax: How Altamira Forced Science to Admit Humans Were Artists Far Earlier Than Expected

The Altamira cave paintings were discovered by a little girl named Maria Sanz de Sautuola in 1879 in northern Spain. The paintings consisted of large bison painted in detail and color, which made the findings different from other prehistoric human artifacts since they had never been associated with such a high level of artistry and skill. The girl's father noticed the significance of these findings and presented them to the world of science. However, the scientists' attitude towards the discovery is not curious. Instead, the reaction was very negative.

In their research, the Smithsonian Institute states that many scientists of the late 19th century considered the Altamira cave paintings as fakes. The reason behind their conclusion is quite obvious: they found these paintings too sophisticated for primitive humans. At that period, there was an assumption that early humans did not have enough brain capacity and art skills to produce similar works. The idea that they might paint such beautiful images was contradictory to the current scientific knowledge. Thus, without proof, the scholars rejected Altamira's authenticity.

Why Were the Paintings Were So Hard to Accept?

The resistance to acceptance of the Altamira findings was not based on the paintings alone. Rather, it was based on what the paintings suggested. Further scientific studies published in journals such as Nature and Science have shown that early Paleolithic people had high-level cognitive and symbolic skills. These findings did not just consist of paintings but rather formed an aspect of greater prehistoric artistic expressions common in Europe. According to the British Museum, the cave art during this era employed a deliberate design strategy to exploit the natural curves of the rock walls in order to depict animal movement. This implies that the artist had planned the designs.

In Altamira, the bison painting was made to be almost three-dimensional by making the best use of the natural rock curves. This type of skill posed difficulties in accepting the idea that prehistoric people were only concerned with surviving without much symbolism in their thinking process. It required a change in perception, since it showed that the origin of artistic work dated back tens of thousands of years.

Science Had to Evolve

By the beginning of the twentieth century, further discoveries about cave art had been made in France and elsewhere in Europe. This rendered Altamira's cave art no longer exceptional. In due course of time, it became acceptable to recognize that the drawings were indeed legitimate works of art. There was nothing subtle about the recognition process. On the contrary, it included admitting mistakes of the past in judging the authenticity of the cave art in question. According to modern research conducted by such reputable organizations as UNESCO, Altamira is recognized to be one of the oldest and at the same time the most prominent manifestations of human artistic behavior. Cave art can be regarded as evidence of the transition from mere survival of primitive people to the interpretation of their life in terms of art, and perhaps even communication.

This development has a much broader meaning. Namely, Altamira became a landmark in changing perceptions of the evolution of human intellectual capacities and creative skills.