Archaeologists discovered traces of the blue pigment azurite during analyses conducted on a rare find belonging to the Late Paleolithic period (approximately 13 thousand years ago).
According to information obtained by AzEdu.az from foreign media, this discovery has led to a re-evaluation of previously formed perceptions about the early inhabitants of Europe's ability to use colors and dyes.
Researchers state that azurite was one of the extremely difficult to obtain and rare minerals of that period. Its identification on the find indicates that Paleolithic people possessed the ability to recognize, collect, and process minerals found in nature for specific purposes.
According to experts, the use of the discovered blue pigment may not have been limited to purely artistic motives. It may also be associated with concepts such as symbolic, ritual, or social status. This indicates that the cultural dynamism and aesthetic sensibility of that period were more developed than we previously thought.
The authors of the study emphasize that the discovery opens new discussions about Europe's Paleolithic cultures, especially the Magdalenian and Epipaleolithic communities. Future laboratory analyses are expected to determine more precisely the purpose for which this pigment was used.
