Historic moment in Spain as first ever cave paintings found on La Palma island

FOR the first time in history, cave paintings have been discovered in La Palma. 

Unearthed by chance, there will now be further research into the presence of historical Benahoarita culture on the island as archeologists suspect there is more to uncover. 

Hidden in The Tiznada Cave, the research team found a volcanic tube that had been decorated with coal typically used to paint walls by cavemen.

Further excavations will now be carried out by a restorer Jorge Afonso, a speleologist Eduardo Díaz and an anthracologist Paloma Vidal, who first entered the cave to validate the existence of the paintings.

As the paintings consist of unidentified vertical lines, there was some scepticism over whether the artwork was man-made or just anthropomorphic.

But, according to the experts, the largest amount of coal is right next to the paintings.

Additionally, there are ash stains with fragments of coal in other corners of the cave, which suggest cavemen-made hearths.

Excavators will have to proceed with caution, as these remnants are so delicate they cannot even be sieved without damaging the small coals found in the sediment.

“With these painted samples we will gain access to the personality of the aboriginal people,” said general director of Cultural Heritage of the Government of the Canary Islands, Antonia Perera.

She enthused that the history of the Benahoarites was ‘more complete’ thanks to the cave paintings discovered in The Tiznada Cave.