Oldest Cave Art in UK ?

[Rich West]

Surprised that this has not been mentioned here: -

"An archaeologist believes a wall carving in a south Wales cave could be Britain's oldest example of rock art.
The faint scratchings of a speared reindeer are believed to have been carved by a hunter-gatherer in the Ice Age more than 14,000 years ago.
The archaeologist who found the carving on the Gower peninsula, Dr George Nash, called it "very, very exciting."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-14272126

and more detail here: -
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2011/7812.html

 

[graham]

Rich

I linked to it in the graffiti thread, but I don't think anyone noticed. The preliminary date for overlying stal is 12,572 + 660 years, so that bit looks good.

If it proves genuine, then it'll either be 12,500 bp (LUP) or  28,000 bp (Gravettian). There is no theoretical reason why art of either age should not be found in Wales.