A cave painting in Wales has been confirmed as the oldest known rock art in the UK.
New research conducted by an international team of archaeologists has dated the artwork, found in the Bacon Hole cave on the Gower Peninsula, to 17,100 years ago.
The painting, dismissed for much of the 20th century as 'natural staining,' was created using red iron oxide (haematite) and is now recognised as deliberately applied prehistoric art.
A team led by Dr George Nash, an archaeologist at the University of Liverpool, re-examined the site and confirmed the artwork’s significance using advanced scientific methods.
Dr Nash said: "This discovery rewrites what we knew about the social and ritual lives of our early Welsh ancestors in the early prehistory of the British Isles.
"Predating all previously identified rock art sites in north-western Europe by at least 1,500 years, the intriguing artwork is a find of international significance."
The team used high-resolution digital photography, uranium-series dating, and Raman spectroscopy to analyse the pigments and dating of the artwork.
They confirmed that the patterns - composed of lines, finger dots, and splashes - were intentionally created by human hands.
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David Thomas, archaeologist for National Trust Cymru, said: "We always knew Bacon Hole was an extraordinary Palaeolithic site – but to discover that the oldest cave art in Britain lies here in Wales is very exciting.
"To imagine people standing in this cave over 17,000 years ago, making their marks on the rock and transforming the places they lived through art, is profoundly moving."
Bacon Hole is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest.
National Trust Cymru has installed a protective metal grille at the cave entrance to conserve the artwork, the surrounding archaeology, and the rare bat population that roosts inside.
Due to the precarious location of Bacon Hole on coastal cliffs, it is not safe for the public to access the cave.
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