At the Final Palaeolithic site of Mühlheim-Dietesheim, Germany, archaeologists from Aarhus University found traces of a blue residue on a stone artifact dating back around 13,000 years. Using a suite of cutting-edge scientific analyses, they confirmed the traces were from the vivid blue mineral pigment azurite, previously unseen in Europe's Palaeolithic art.
"This challenges what we thought we knew about Palaeolithic pigment use", sais Dr. Izzy Wisher, the lead author of the study.
Until now, scholars believed Palaeolithic artists predominantly used red and black pigments – practically no other colours are present in the art of this period. This was thought to be due to a lack of blue minerals or limited visual appeal. Given the absence of blues in Palaeolithic art, this new discovery suggests that blue pigments may have been used for either body decoration or dyeing fabrics – activities that leave few archaeological traces.
"The presence of azurite shows that Palaeolithic people had a deep knowledge of mineral pigments and could access a much broader colour palette than we previously thought – and they may have been selective in the way they used certain colours", Izzy Wisher says.
The stone bearing the azurite traces was originally thought to be an oil lamp. Now, it appears to have been a mixing surface or palette for preparing blue pigments — hinting at artistic or cosmetic traditions that remain largely invisible today.
The findings urge a rethink of Palaeolithic art and colour use, opening new avenues for exploring how early humans expressed identity, status, and beliefs through materials far more varied and vibrant than previously imagined.
The study was conducted in collaboration with Rasmus Andreasen, James Scott and Christof Pearce at the Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University, as well as Thomas Birch who is affiliated with both the Department of Geoscience, AU, and the National Museum of Denmark, alongside colleagues from Germany, Sweden and France.
The full study is published in Antiquity:
https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2025.10184
