Neanderthal "art" intentionally scratched into the floor of a cave in Gibraltar suggests the hominids were capable of complex symbolic thought and abstract expression.

The discovery of these symbols contrasts sharply with stereotypes that depict Neanderthals as dumb early humans, said a recent study published in the journal PNAS.

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During the study, a team of researchers from various European institutions examined the first known examples of Neanderthal rock art at Gorham's cave in Gibraltar where the extinct species lived thousands of years ago.

Covered by undisturbed sediments, the carvings resemble eight crisscrossing lines scratched on a shelf of bedrock a few centimeters above the cave floor.

Archeologists had previously found 294 stone tools associated with Neanderthal culture near the artwork. Scientists dated the tools to the same period when the Neanderthals went extinct, or about 39, 000 years ago, leading to the conclusion the engravings must be older.

Researchers carried out experiments to determine if the scratches could have been accidentally made by using Neanderthal rock points as stylus and the same slab of rock from the cave as a canvass.

One line required some 54 strokes while 317 strokes were needed to reproduce the line pattern exactly. Researchers, therefore, concluded the lines were purposely made with persistence and determination, disputing any utilitarian activity.

The discovery is a major contribution to redefining previous perceptions of Neanderthal culture.

It  shows new and stronger proof of the extinct species' capacity to develop complex symbolic thought, as well as abstract expression, said William Wenru from the French National Center for Scientific Research.

Anthropologist Clive Finlayson and his team also noted in the study that the engravings represent a deliberate design conceived by a Neanderthal maker. It follows that abstract thinking was not exclusive to modern humans.

Recent discoveries have hinted evidence of complex thought as Neanderthals may have buried their dead, wore jewelry made of painted and pierced shells and adorned themselves with black and red pigments.

But due to the previously missing Neanderthal art discovery, it was impossible to rule them out as artists.

The new study, however, could change this perception.

TagsNeanderthal Art, Neanderthal Culture, PNAS Journal