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Until now, it was impossible to date with certainty the Paleolithic parietal art of the caves in the region using carbon-14, including that of Lascaux, as the paintings were reputed to contain only iron and manganese oxides. However, no study had ever confirmed the absence of carbon.
Hyperspectral image obtained by reflectance imaging spectroscopy (RIS) of the Carrefour panel showing a visual contrast between representations made with carbon black (in red, Cervid HB14 and Bison HB15) and those made with black manganese oxides (in green, Bison HB14).
© TU Delft, Matthias Alfeld.
To perform this verification, scientists investigated the chemical composition of two black drawings, representing a bison and a mask, using Raman microspectroscopy and hyperspectral imaging. These non-invasive methods revealed traces of charcoal in the black pigments. The uniform presence of charcoal across all the black lines of the figures ruled out the hypothesis of contamination from graffiti or tourist activity in the cave.
Micro-samples were exceptionally authorized for carbon-14 dating. Although this dating is difficult to perform on so little material, analyses confirmed dating to the Upper Paleolithic, slightly more recent than previously estimated: the bison was painted between 13,461 and 13,162 calBP, while different parts of the mask were painted between 8,993 and 8,590 calBP, 15,981 and 15,121 calBP, as well as between 15,297 and 14,246 calBP.
Thanks to this new analysis methodology, scientists hope to obtain precise dating of other Paleolithic figures, paving the way for a better understanding of parietal art and the populations who created it.