New Evidence of Neanderthal Art: Pencils Made from Ochre

The discovery of sharpened ochre pencils suggests that Neanderthals may have used them for social and cultural purposes, such as drawing symbols.

A new study finds that Neanderthals were making red and yellow “crayons” tens of thousands of years ago, using a variety of techniques to sharpen the edges of their tools to a perfect “crayon.” Image: d’Errico et al., Sci. Adv. 11, eadx4722; CC BY 4.0.

Neanderthals living in what is now Crimea made crayons from ochre, an iron-containing mineral that could be used as a pigment. Image: d'Errico et al., Sci. Adv. 11, eadx4722; CC BY 4.0.

In the new study, researchers identified three ochre crayons dating back up to 100,000 years that appeared to have been “selectively used,” including one with a sharpened tip. Image: d'Errico et al., Science Advances (2025); CC BY 4.0.

The discovery adds to the debate over whether Neanderthals were capable of artistic creation. Image: d'Errico et al., Science Advances (2025); CC BY 4.0.

In this case, the researchers suggest that if Neanderthals used ochre for other purposes, such as tanning leather, they wouldn't have needed to sharpen the tip of their pens. Image: d'Errico et al., Science Advances (2025); CC BY 4.0.

The discovery of repeatedly sharpened crayons provides evidence that Neanderthals in Crimea sometimes used ochre for socially and culturally significant tasks, such as drawing symbols on their bodies. Image: d'Errico et al., Science Advances (2025); CC BY 4.0.

The study's first author, Francesco d'Errico, professor of archaeology at the University of Bergen in Norway, said it was exciting to find a fragment with a clearly re-sharpened pencil tip. Image: d'Errico et al., Science Advances (2025); CC BY 4.0.

Because the discovery shows that the artifact was crafted and preserved by Neanderthals to draw delicate lines. This is truly something very special. Photo: d'Errico et al., Science Advances (2025); CC BY 4.0.

According to Professor Francesco, Neanderthals had the same artistic ability as Homo sapiens. Photo: d'Errico et al., Science Advances (2025); CC BY 4.0.

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