New insights into the study of Palaeolithic rock art: dismantling the "Basque Country Void"

The Vasco-Cantabrian region of northern Spain, together with southwestern France, is one of the richest areas in terms of Paleolithic cave art, but, until recently, by far the highest concentration of sites had been in the central-western sector: the provinces of Cantabria and Asturias. In contrast, the eastern sector, the Basque Country-between the Asón River and the Pyrenees-was thought to have a significantly lower density of cave art loci, and few of them were major “sanctuaries”. The density of cave art sites seemed to increase again in the central French Pyrenees. This unequal distribution was difficult to explain given the homogeneity in the distribution of undecorated (i.e., habitation) Upper Paleolithic sites, as well as the lack of major lithological or orographic differences between the eastern and central-western sectors of the region. In addition, the important geostrategic position of the Basque Country between southwestern France and northwestern Iberia seemed to contradict the marginal role traditionally suggested by the parietal art record. During the past decade, however, research projects aiming to address the issue of the so-called Basque rock art void have led to the tripling of the number of known decorated caves in the eastern sector. Some of the very recent discoveries, notably in Atxurra, Armintxe, and Aitzbitarte IV, fall into the category of major cave art sites. The evidence presented here contributes to a fuller understanding of artistic production, human connections, and settlement dynamics during the entire Upper Paleolithic among the Cantabrian, Pyrenean, and Aquitaine regions, underlining the importance of the Basque Country record

The cave art of de Arbaila mountains a current situation of its tardiglacial chronological context

Las cuevas decoradas del macizo de Arbaila, cuyo estudio se remonta a mediados e inicios del último cuarto del siglo XX e inicios del último cuarto, no han sido objeto de una valoración posterior. En la realidad arqueológica actual, aún con sus aspectos específicos, encajan netamente con lo que conocemos de la actividad gráfica durante el Magdaleniense reciente en la cornisa cantábrica y Pirineos

Descubriendo a los primeros artistas ¿un ejercicio posible?

Resumen: La Región Cantábrica presenta la mayor concentración de cuevas decoradas paleolíticas de Europa y, junto a los Pirineos y la región de Dordoña, es una de las tres áreas clásicas de estudio del arte parietal paleolítico. Es decir, se trata de una fuente de información indispensable para conocer dicho fenómeno. Aunque los datos sobre el origen de la actividad gráfica en la región son escasos y poco precisos, sabemos que prácticamente desde los momentos iniciales del Paleolítico Superior se caracteriza por la existencia de una serie de tradiciones gráficas específicas que le son propias y que marcarán un ?carácter distintivo? al territorio durante algo más de 15.000 años. En las fases finales del periodo, desde el Magdaleniense medio, un rápido proceso globalizador acabará con esas diferencias a favor de un arte unitario que englobará a los distintos territoriosAbstract: The Cantabrian Region presents the highest concentration of rock art caves in Europe and, next to the Pyrenees and the Dordogne region, is one of the three classic areas of study of Palaeolithic art. That is, this is an indispensable source of information to research this phenomenon. Even if the data on the origin of graphic activity in the region are scarce and inaccurate, we know that practically since the initial moments of the Upper Palaeolithic it is characterized by the existence of a series of specific graphic traditions giving a ?distinctive character? to the territory for over 15,000 years. In the final stages of the period, from the middle Magdalenian, a fast globalising process will end with those differences in favour of a standardised art that will encompass the different territorie

Uribe Kosta-Butroe aldeko natura eta ondare baliabideak

Resumen: Uribe Kosta is one of the regions of Biscay with the highest density of prehistoric archaeological sites, due in large part to the first-order abiotic resources provided by the flint from the flysch. However, the intensity of research and degree of knowledge of the archaeological heritage have not been commensurate with its importance. Only in recent years specific projects to address this deficit have been established.Abstract: Uribe Kosta is one of the regions of Biscay with the highest density of prehistoric archaeological sites, due in large part to the first-order abiotic resources provided by the flint from the flysch. However, the intensity of research and degree of knowledge of the archaeological heritage have not been commensurate with its importance. Only in recent years specific projects to address this deficit have been established

The Cantabrian Lower Magdalenian striated hinds on scapulae: Towards a new definition of a graphic morphotype

From the graphic point of view, the theme of the ?striated hind? is a true fossildirector of the Cantabrian Lower Magdalenian. Represented for the most part on scapulae in the case of portable art, it also possesses its correlation in parietal art. The C14 dates currently available do not allow any doubts about its chrono-cultural attribution. However, the concept of ?striated engraving?, referring to a technical/stylistic resource, has been used much more expansively to characterize chronologically a large number of representations of doubtful attribution. Therefore, this paper will define, from a precise study of technical characteristics involving both microscopic and formal analysis, the ?striated hind? morphotype, as opposed to the notion of ?striated engraving?, which will also be reviewed in the light of the formal and technical data available. This redefinition will enable us to address more precisely the dispersion across space and time of this graphic resource so characteristic of the Cantabrian Lower Magdalenian.The results presented in this paper have been partially funded by the research project of the Spanish Science Ministry “Learning and developing of artistic skills in anatomically modern humans: a multidisciplinary approach” HAR2017- 87739-P, lead by Olivia Rivero

Gravettian portable art on lithic support from Isturitz cave (Saint-Martind?Arberoue, Pyrénées Atlantiques, France): a rediscovered collection

Le site archéologique de la grotte d'Isturitz (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) est spécialement connu pour la quantité et l'importance de son art mobilier magdalénien. En ce qui concerne les supports ornés des niveaux solutréens, gravettiens et aurignaciens, ils sont largement méconnus, particulièrement ceux correspondant aux fouilles de Saint-Périer qui ont livré un nombre assez significatif d'objets décorés. Ce travail présente une partie des résultats de la révision effectuée sur les collections conservées au Musée d'Archéologie Nationale, issues des fouilles de R. et S. de Saint-Périer et E. Passemard. Cette révision nous a permis de renouveler la documentation de l'art mobilier antémagdalénien d'Isturitz, en révélant un ensemble très fourni de représentations figuratives et non figuratives, dont les caractéristiques formelles, très homogènes, sont directement liées aux figurations pariétales gravettiennes des grottes contemporaines comme Cussac, Gargas, Cosquer ou Roucadour. Nous n'évoquerons ici que les figures animales. Les données rassemblées permettent de lier la production artistique mobilière d'Isturitz avec des modèles formels qui se sont développés en France pendant le Gravettien, sans atteindre, dans l'état actuel de nos connaissances, la Péninsule Ibérique.The archaeological site of the cave of Isturitz (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) is especially known by the quantity and the importance of its Magdalenian portable art. But the decorated supports from the Solutrean, Gravettian and Magdalenian levels are largely ignored, particularly those from Saint-Périer excavations which offered a rather significant number of decorated objects. This work is a part of the result of the revision carried out on the collections preserved at the Museum of National Archaeology, resulting from the excavations from R. and S. de Saint-Périer and E. Passemard. This revision enabled us to renew the documentation of premagdalenian portable art of Isturitz, by revealing many figurative and nonfigurative representations, whose formal characteristics are very homogeneous and directly related to the Gravettian parietal figurations of caves like Cussac, Gargas, Cosquer or Roucadour. Only animal figures are treated in this paper. The data rassembled allows to linking the portable artistic production of Isturitz with formal models which are developed throughout France during Gravettian, without reaching, in the actual position of our knowledge, the Iberian Peninsula

Visualizing childhood in Upper Palaeolithic societies: Experimental and archaeological approach to artists? age estimation through cave art hand stencils

This paper presents rock art as a collective action in which different strata of society took part, including children and subadults. Until recent decades archaeology of childhood has not been in the main focus of the archaeological research, much less the participation of those children in the artistic activity. The present study approaches the palaeodemography of artists in the decorated caves through the paleolithic rock art itself. The approximate age of these individuals has been calculated through the biometric analysis of hand stencils in the caves of Fuente del Salín, Castillo, La Garma, Maltravieso and Fuente del Trucho, using 3D photogrammetric models as reference. The results have been compared with a modern reference population in order to assign the Palaeolithic hands to certain age groups. It has been demonstrated the presence of hand stencil motifs belongs to infants, children and juveniles, revealing this stratum?s importance in the artistic activity.The present study has been conducted as part of the research project “Before art: social investment in symbolic expressions during the Upper Palaeolithic (B-Art)” (PID 2019-107262 GB-I00), funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MCIN/ AEI /10.13039/501100011033), PI: Diego Garate. This study is also a part of the research project “From the Mind to the Wall: Tracing Sign Language in Palæolithic Hand Stencils (MIND2WALL)” (ANR-21-CE27-0005), funded by the French Ministry of Culture, PI: Aritz Irurtzun

An updated inventory of the Isturitz type bone points of the cantabrian region

Nous présentons dans ce travail une révision du corpus des pointes de type Isturitz du Gravettien cantabrique, concernant les exemplaires déjà connus de Bolinkoba, Usategi et Aitzbitarte III, ainsi que celui provenant de la récente découverte du site d?Askondo. L?analyse inclut une approche technologique et fonctionnelle de ces pointes grâce à laquelle nous pouvons conclure que deux types primaires sont représentés : les pointes fusiformes légères (Aitzbitarte III et Askondo) et les pointes triangulaires massives (Bolinkoba, Usategi). De plus, la distribution des sites possédant des pointes de type Isturitz dans la région cantabrique nous permet d?associer ces armatures avec celles des sites attribués au Gravettien riche en burins de Noailles. Ceci, avec d?autres éléments tels que la mobilité des matières premières, la technologie lithique ou les manifestations artistiques, nous permet d?y repérer une articulation territoriale particulière pendant le Gravettien dans cette région.In this work we present a review of the Isturitz type bone point assemblage of the cantabrian Gravettian, which includes the already known pieces from Bolinkoba, Usategi and Aitzbitarte III, and also the point recently discovered in Askondo site. This review includes technological and use-wear analyses which helped to identify two major types: light fusiform points (Aitzbitarte III and Askondo) and massive triangular points (Bolinkoba and Usategi). Also, we noted that the spatial distribution of the Isturitz type points in the cantabrian region is similar to the distribution of the sites defined as Gravettian rich in Noailles burins. This evidence, combined with the available information about raw material mobility, the technological organization and the artistic manifestations, suggest a particular territorial articulation of this region during the Gravettian

New palaeolithic rock-art findings in La Peña cave (Candamo, Asturias)

La cueva de La Peña (Candamo, Asturias) contiene uno de los conjuntos de arte parietal paleolítico más significativos de la Cornisa Cantábrica. La cavidad fue descubierta en los albores del siglo XX, habiendo sufrido con posterioridad diversos procesos de alteración debido a su utilización como refugio durante la Guerra Civil o por su acondicionamiento para la explotación turística. Recientemente, ha sido declarada Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO y se ha retomado el estudio del arte parietal. Como resultado preliminar, se da a conocer el hallazgo de una serie de grafías parietales inéditas, tanto pintadas como grabadas, que se distribuyen por todos los sectores de la cavidad, ofreciendo así una nueva visión del conjunto parietal de la cavidad que enlaza con lo observado en otras cuevas del occidente de la Región cantábrica.La Peña cave (Candamo, Asturias) contains one of the more significant sets of palaeolithic rock art of the Cantabrian region. The cave was discovered in the beginnings of 20th century, having undergone later diverse processes of alteration due to its use like refuge during the Spanish Civil War or by its preparation for the tourist operation. Recently has been declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO and the study of the parietal art has been retaken. As preliminary result we announce the finding of some unpublished figures, both painted and engraved, that are distributed by all the sectors of the cavity, offering a new vision of the parietal set of the cavity that connects other caves of the Western Cantabrian region

Application of Line of Sight and Potential Audience Analysis to Unravel the Spatial Organization of Palaeolithic Cave Art

The endokarst landscape is the result of long erosion and sedimentation processes that have modelled an environment in which capricious forms abound. Despite being a hostile environment for human life, these caves must have attracted the attention of human groups from as early as the Palaeolithic. It is striking that many examples of rock art appear to be closely symbiotic with their natural support; nevertheless, it is difficult to confirm any relationship in the distribution of the decorated spaces, based on their morphology. Moreover, if we start from the hypothesis?widely accepted, but not demonstrated?that Palaeolithic cave art is a system of visual communication, the visibility of the art or the number of people who could be accommodated in the decorated sectors should be determining factors. In order to avoid making subjective appraisals when analysing these factors, we have designed a Python script with a workflow to work directly with 3D models of caverns using GISs, which can be easily replicated and edited by other researchers. Application of this script in the Magdalenian caves of Atxurra, Santimamine and Altxerri (Northern Spain) has allowed us to compare them accurately based on their visibility features. This has shown that in some cases, there may have been prior planning to enhance the visibility of some figures. In all cases, the groups of figures are located in deep and hidden parts of the caves, usually in sectors with limited capacity to accommodate people, which would be consistent with a system of restricted communication.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This research was made within the project PID2019-107262GB-100 “Before art: social investment in symbolic expressions during the Upper Palaeolithic in the Iberian Peninsula” (PI Diego Garate) funded by MCIN/ AEI /10.13039/501100011033 (Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities); the four-year multidisciplinary study project (2016–2020) “Study of rock art in Atxurra cave” led by Dr Diego Garate and funded by the Cultural Heritage Service of the Diputación Foral de Bizkaia; the two-year research project 021-KOI-2020 “Kobabes: kobazuloen dinamika eta labar artearen babesa” (PI Diego Garate), funded by Department of Culture and Linguist Politics of the Basque Government and the project “Ilunpetako sekretuak argiztatzen” (PI Iñaki Intxaurbe) funded with the grant “Barandiaran 2022” by the Jose Miguel de Barandiaran Foundation. I. Intxaurbe’s PhD research is funded by the grant PIF 19/196 (2019) at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). M.A. Medina-Alcaide has a Fyssen Foundation postdoctoral fellowship