Cave of Altamira

Cueva de Altamira

Spain · Cantabria

CaveIntermittent excavationUNESCO · 1985
Approximate periodUpper Palaeolithic See on the map ↓

In brief

Known for its cave paintings, Altamira also has excavated Palaeolithic occupation layers. Excavations have recovered bone tools and animal remains.

What was found?

  • 1Polychrome bison paintings

    The bison on the ceiling were created using engraved lines and paints of different colors. The use of natural projections in the rock to give volume to the bodies shows the painters' skillful use of the surface.

  • 2Engraved deer scapula

    During the 2008-2009 excavations, a red deer scapula was found with two superimposed hind heads engraved on it. The layer in which it was found helped compare the dating of portable artworks with similar engravings on the cave wall.

  • 3Bird bone fragments with traces of paint

    Pigment is present on the inner and outer surfaces of pieces made from the leg or wing bone of a large bird. According to researchers, these may have been used to spray liquid red paint by blowing.

What does it point to?

Altamira shows that Paleolithic people could use color, line, and the rock surface together. Decorated bones also indicate that visual expression was not confined to cave walls.

What did it teach us?

  1. It showed that Paleolithic people could produce polychrome paintings that created an impression of volume.
  2. It revealed that the same tradition of depicting animals appeared on both walls and portable objects.
  3. Decorated bones from known layers provided comparisons for assessing the chronology of wall art.

Images

Altamira-1880
Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Altamira Littorina littorea Édouard Harlé MHNT.PRE.2012.0.609
Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Record

Culture
Upper Palaeolithic communities, including Gravettian and Magdalenian
First modern dig
1879
Team / historical
National Museum and Research Centre of Altamira
Coordinates
43.3825°, -4.1203°

Sources

  1. whc.unesco.org
  2. cultura.gob.es
  3. en.wikipedia.org
  4. Bradshaw Foundation — Altamira Mağarası
  5. Altamira Ulusal Müzesi — Google Arts & Culture

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