Whether the torch marks in Hourglass Cave were subjected to direct radiocarbon dating, or whether the evidence for ancient torch use rests primarily on the association of charcoal with the cave’s ancient archaeological deposits, is a detail that deserves verification against the primary sources before being stated with precision.

What is clear from the published literature is that researchers identified evidence of ancient torch use — both smudge marks on walls and charcoal in clay deposits — as part of the Hourglass Cave Man investigation, and that this evidence was interpreted as indicating deliberate ancient penetration of the cave’s dark zone.

The distinction between the two kinds of evidence — directly dated torch marks versus charcoal from cave deposits that may or may not have been directly associated with the individual — matters for how certain conclusions can be stated.

The charcoal in cave deposits is more easily associated with a specific time period through radiocarbon dating.