Neolithic paintings in Spain reveal art was social activity for both sexes

Study of fingerprints left at Los Machos site thousands of years ago reveal age and sex of artists

One day, perhaps a little over 7,000 years ago, a man in his 30s and a younger companion dipped their fingers in ochre pigment and set about daubing the walls of a shallow cave in southern Spain with anthropomorphic, circular and geometric designs.

Today, thanks to the fingerprints they left behind in the natural shelter of Los Machos in the province of Granada, researchers have been able to determine their sexes and ages.