Arkeonews
By Oguz Buyukyildirim
11 January 2026
Archaeologists working in the canyonlands of southwest Texas have discovered that some of North America’s most iconic cave paintings are far older than previously believed. According to new scientific dating, Pecos River–style murals found along the U.S.–Mexico border may have been first created nearly 6,000 years ago, revealing a remarkably long and continuous artistic tradition among ancient hunter-gatherer societies.
The findings come from a large interdisciplinary study led by Dr. Carolyn E. Boyd of Texas State University, published in Science Advances. The research redefines what is known about early ritual art in North America and challenges outdated assumptions about the complexity of forager cultures.
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