In 1912, the Guardian reported the discovery of Palaeolithic rock art on the walls of Bacon Hole, a cave near the Mumbles in south Wales. By 1928, however, the painted panel's authenticity was dismissed, with the red horizontal bands deemed a natural phenomenon. The newspaper later stated that the streaks were merely red oxide mineral seeping through the rock, not prehistoric art.
Now, new analysis has proven the original report correct. Archaeologists have used advanced scientific techniques to date the rock art, revealing it was created 17,100 years ago. This makes it the oldest example in Britain and northwestern Europe.
Rediscovery and Dating
Dr George Nash, a British specialist in prehistoric art who led the international research team, said: "This is the earliest prehistoric art we have in Britain. It was never considered rock art after 1928, and it could not be dated then due to lack of scientific means. We used uranium-thorium dating on the pigments, obtaining a date of 17,100 years before present. I was taken aback that we could date and analyse the pigments. This is an exciting rediscovery, significant for understanding deep past activity in Wales."
Historical Context
The initial discovery was made by professors William Sollas and Henri Breuil in 1912, hailed as "the first specimen of prehistoric cave painting ever discovered in England." The full extent of the imagery was not understood, partly because in 1894 a local fisher had painted graffiti on the other side of the chamber.
Archaeometric analysis has now revealed a mix of calcite, consistent with local limestone geology, and clay residues within a "pigment recipe." The academics concluded: "Based on field observations and laboratory examination, it is evident that the pigmented lines were intentionally created by human agency, not natural processes." They added that the lines are arranged horizontally and equidistantly, indicating a deliberate pattern. The paint was applied by finger.
Significance and Protection
Bacon Hole is located within limestone cliffs of south Gower, overlooking the Bristol Channel. Although in an area of outstanding natural beauty, it is not protected as a scheduled monument. The archaeologists argue it should now become one. The cave is under the custodianship of the National Trust of Wales, which will officially announce the research this week.
Welsh-born Nash is associate professor at the Geosciences Centre of Coimbra University in Portugal and honorary research fellow at the University of Liverpool. He and international academics have published their findings in the journal Quaternary.
Environmental Context
About 17,100 years ago, Wales was emerging from a severe cold phase of the Devensian glaciation. The climate shifted from a near-uninhabitable frozen landscape to a treeless periglacial environment with sparse vegetation. The area now occupied by the Bristol Channel would have served as a favourable catchment for migratory megafauna grazing during summer months. Bacon Hole and other caves along the southern Gower peninsula would have offered suitable habitation for hunter-fisher-gatherer groups.
The research was conducted by First Art, a group of scientists, and academics from the universities of Southampton and Swansea, among others. The project was supported by the National Trust and the Bradshaw Foundation.
Rare examples of Upper Palaeolithic rock art in Britain include one Nash discovered in 2010 at Cathole Cave, Parkmill, about two and a half miles from Bacon Hole, with a minimum date range of 14,500 to 12,500 years ago.
