- e-mail: diez.garcia.marcos@gmail.com
- Palaeolithic Archaeology, Prehistoric Art, Prehistoric Rock Art, Origin of symbolic behaviour, Rock art chronology, Territorial organisation, and 17 moreTerritorial prehistory organisation, Middle to Upper Paleolithic Transition, Paleolithic Europe, Middle Paleolithic, Ice Age Cave Art, Evolution and Human Behavior, Radiocarbon, Series De Uranio, Termoluminiscencia, Arte paleolítico, Cornisa Cantábica, Paleolithic Art, Direct Chronology, Magdalenian, Behavioral Ecology, Gravettian, and Aurignacianedit
- Licenciado en Historia (rama curricular de Prehistoria) por la Universidad del País Vasco (1996), Diplomado en Arqueo... moreLicenciado en Historia (rama curricular de Prehistoria) por la Universidad del País Vasco (1996), Diplomado en Arqueología Práctica por la Universidad de Deusto (1996) y Doctor (especialidad Prehistoria) por la Universidad del País Vasco bajo la dirección de I. Barandiarán (2002).Ha sido profesor de licenciatura (en Historia) y grado (en Historia, Historia del Arte, y Geografía e Historia) en las universidades del País Vasco (2009-2017) e Isabel I de Burgos (2017-2019), de másteres en cuaternario en la universidad del País Vasco (2009-2019) y de máster en formación del profesorado en la Isabel I (2016-2018), y de doctorado en las universidades Rovira y Virgili de Tarragona (2004-2007) y País Vasco (2004-2009). Ha realizado estancias de investigación en Francia (Universidad de Bordeaux -1998-), Portugal (Parque Arqueológico del Valle de Côa -1999- e Instituto Politécnico de Tomar -1998-), República Checa (Laboratorio de Paleolítico y Paleoetnografía del Instituto de las Ciencias Checas -2002 a 2004-) y España (Universidad Rovira y Virgili -1997 y 1998-).Su ámbito de investigación se centra principalmente en el arte prehistórico, tanto paleolítico como postpaleolítico. Sus líneas de trabajo actuales preferentes se concretan en:•Origen de la conducta simbólica y del grafismo.•El desarrollo del arte paleolítico y el fin del estilo paleolítico.•Aplicación de técnicas cronométricas al estudio de arte prehistórico.•Territorialidad y movilidad de los grupos cazadores-recolectores.•Arte prehistórico como información paleoetnográfica.•Conservación, gestión y puesta en valor del Patrimonio Rupestre.Ha desarrollo trabajos arqueológicos y de conservación en España (entre otros, Ekain, Danbolinzulo, Altamira, Covalanas, La Haza, El Castillo, La Pasiega, Las Chimeneas, Coimbre, Covaciella, El Bosque, Venta Laperra, Los Casares, Ardales, etc.), Francia (Merveilles), Portugal (Foz Côa y Escoural), Italia (Grotta di Genovessi), República Checa (Dolní Vestonice y Paulov) y Timor (prospección de arte rupestre en el área de Tutuala). Su actividad de investigación ha sido reconocida positivamente por la ANECA con tres tramos de investigación (sexenios 1997-2005, 2006-2011 y 2012-2017). Está acreditado por la ANECA, en 2015, como profesor ayudante doctor, profesor de universidad privada y profesor contratado doctor. Además de la actividad académica y de investigación, ha desarrollo actividad laboral en el ámbito de la gestión del Patrimonio, trabajando como técnico superior en el Centro Nacional de Arte Rupestre del Ministerio de Cultura Portugués (1999 y 2000) y como Coordinador de Centros Culturales del Gobierno de Cantabria (2006 a 2010). Ha sido miembro de diversas comisiones y órganos de asesoramiento sobre patrimonio (comunidades de País Vasco, Cantabria, Asturias y Extremadura, Ministerio de Cultura del Gobierno de España) y miembro del Patronato del Museo Nacional y Centro de Investigación de la cueva de Altamira (2010-2012). Por último, destaca su actividad de transferencia, habiendo escrito varias guías de cuevas con arte rupestre y diversos libros de divulgación, así como numerosas charlas de divulgación científica y habiendo comisariado exposiciones para el Gobierno de Cantabria, la Fundación Atapuerca y el Museo Nacional y Centro de Investigación de la cueva de Altamira.edit
La caracterización del final del ciclo gráfico paleolítico en el norte peninsular presenta importantes deficiencias debido a la ausencia de evidencias debidamente contextualizadas. Así, el análisis de piezas mobiliares procedentes de... more
La caracterización del final del ciclo gráfico paleolítico en el norte peninsular presenta importantes deficiencias debido a la ausencia de evidencias debidamente contextualizadas. Así, el análisis de piezas mobiliares procedentes de contextos estratigráficos sólidos constituye una valiosa herramienta para llenar este vacío. En este sentido, este trabajo plantea un estudio sobre un canto grabado procedente de un nivel finipaleolítico de la cueva de Arenaza. A través de este estudio se ha identificado un motivo zoomorfo y se han determinado sus principales convenciones gráficas, favoreciendo su comparación con aquellas presentes en otras evidencias parietales y mobiliares del periodo. Este ejercicio ha permitido identificar la coexistencia y combinación de dos dinámicas de representación (una naturalista y otra esquemática) en la producción gráfica figurativa del final del Paleolítico en el norte peninsular. En última instancia, se argumenta que el análisis de las formas y tiempos en los que se produjo esta coexistencia puede ayudar a comprender los procesos de cambio cultural que transformaron profundamente las sociedades humanas de la región en el tránsito del Pleistoceno al Holoceno.
The characterization of the end of the Palaeolithic graphic cycle in northern Iberia endures several deficiencies due to the absence of properly contextualized evidence. Thus, the analysis of portable art from solid stratigraphic contexts constitutes a valuable tool to fill this void. In this sense, this work studies a pebble engraved coming from a finipalaeolithic level from Arenaza cave. Through this study, a zoomorphic motif has been identified and its main graphic conventions have been established, favoring its comparison with those present in other parietal
and mobiliary evidence from the period. This exercise has made it possible to identify the coexistence and
combination of two representational dynamics (one naturalistic and the other schematic) in the figurative graphic
production of the final Palaeolithic of northern Iberia. Ultimately, it is argued that the analysis of the forms and
times in which this coexistence occurred can help to understand the processes of cultural change which profoundly
transformed the region during the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene.
The characterization of the end of the Palaeolithic graphic cycle in northern Iberia endures several deficiencies due to the absence of properly contextualized evidence. Thus, the analysis of portable art from solid stratigraphic contexts constitutes a valuable tool to fill this void. In this sense, this work studies a pebble engraved coming from a finipalaeolithic level from Arenaza cave. Through this study, a zoomorphic motif has been identified and its main graphic conventions have been established, favoring its comparison with those present in other parietal
and mobiliary evidence from the period. This exercise has made it possible to identify the coexistence and
combination of two representational dynamics (one naturalistic and the other schematic) in the figurative graphic
production of the final Palaeolithic of northern Iberia. Ultimately, it is argued that the analysis of the forms and
times in which this coexistence occurred can help to understand the processes of cultural change which profoundly
transformed the region during the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene.
Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Palaeolithic Archaeology, Prehistoric Europe (Archaeology), Paleolithic Europe, Prehistoric Art, and 15 moreUpper Paleolithic, Magdalenian, Prehistoric Archeology, Paleolithic Archaeology, Upper Palaeolithic, Prehistoric portable art, Magdaleniense, Paleolítico, Epipaleolítico, Arenaza, Paleolítico superior, Arte mueble, Arte paleolítico, Arte Prehistórico, and Historia Del País Vasco
AMS radiocarbon dating has been widely applied in Palaeolithic art research and its value has been proven over the past three decades. Yet it still suffers from issues that need to be discussed and analysed to improve future sampling... more
AMS radiocarbon dating has been widely applied in Palaeolithic art research and its value has been proven over the past three decades. Yet it still suffers from issues that need to be discussed and analysed to improve future sampling strategies and strengthen the interpretation of the results. This study presents new AMS dates for the parietal art in Cueva de Las Chimeneas in northern Spain, describes the quality of the samples, and discusses their reliability. The joint assessment of the dates and its comparison with previously obtained dates as well as stratified and dated portable art makes it possible to put forward a hypothesis about the time of creation of the cave's parietal art and the degree of synchrony or diachrony in its production. Consequently, it is proposed that the cave art at Las Chimeneas was created in the lower Magdalenian, between 19,000 and 17,500 cal BP.
Research Interests: Rock Art (Archaeology), Unesco, World Cultural Heritage, AMS 14C dating, Symbolism (Art History), and 13 morePaleolithic Europe, Archaeology of Caves and Caverns (Archaeospeleology), Upper Paleolithic, Prehistoric Rock Art, Rock Art, Magdalenian, Chronology, Ice Age Cave Art, Paleolithic Art, Radiocarbon Dating, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), Cave art, and UNESCO world heritage
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The study of graphic convergences and divergences in Palaeolithic art is a way of understanding the culture, territories and interaction systems of human groups. The stylistic and formal analysis of bison depictions dated in the Later... more
The study of graphic convergences and divergences in Palaeolithic art is a way of understanding the culture, territories and interaction systems of human groups. The stylistic and formal analysis of bison depictions dated in the Later Magdalenian (Middle, Upper and Late Magdalenian) shows the existence of two graphic morphotypes: Pyrenean (or Niaux type) and Perigordian (or Font-de-Gaume type). Their geographic distribution and the density of sites and figures enables a reappraisal of their territorial significance and hypotheses are proposed to explain the distribution and co-existence of these graphic models.
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El estudio de las convergencias y divergencias gráficas en el arte paleolítico es utilizado para comprender la cultura, los territorios y los sistemas de interacción entre grupos humanos. El análisis estilístico y formal de los bisontes... more
El estudio de las convergencias y divergencias gráficas en el arte paleolítico es utilizado para comprender la cultura, los territorios y los sistemas de interacción entre grupos humanos. El análisis estilístico y
formal de los bisontes rupestres europeos atribuidos al Magdaleniense reciente muestra la existencia de dos morfotipos gráficos: pirenaico (o tipo Niaux) y perigordiense (o tipo Font-de-Gaume). Su distribución geográfica, así como la densidad de conjuntos y figuras, permiten reconsiderar su significado territorial y proponer hipótesis para explicar la distribución y la coexistencia de estos modelos gráficos.
The study of graphic convergences and divergences in Palaeolithic art is a way of understanding the culture, territories and interaction systems of human groups. The stylistic and formal analysis of bison depictions
dated in the Later Magdalenian (Middle, Upper and Late Magdalenian) shows the existence of two graphic morphotypes: Pyrenean (or Niaux type) and Perigordian (or Font-de-Gaume type). Their geographic distribution and the density of sites and figures enables a reappraisal of their territorial significance and hypotheses are proposed to explain the distribution and co-existence of these graphic models.
formal de los bisontes rupestres europeos atribuidos al Magdaleniense reciente muestra la existencia de dos morfotipos gráficos: pirenaico (o tipo Niaux) y perigordiense (o tipo Font-de-Gaume). Su distribución geográfica, así como la densidad de conjuntos y figuras, permiten reconsiderar su significado territorial y proponer hipótesis para explicar la distribución y la coexistencia de estos modelos gráficos.
The study of graphic convergences and divergences in Palaeolithic art is a way of understanding the culture, territories and interaction systems of human groups. The stylistic and formal analysis of bison depictions
dated in the Later Magdalenian (Middle, Upper and Late Magdalenian) shows the existence of two graphic morphotypes: Pyrenean (or Niaux type) and Perigordian (or Font-de-Gaume type). Their geographic distribution and the density of sites and figures enables a reappraisal of their territorial significance and hypotheses are proposed to explain the distribution and co-existence of these graphic models.
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The hand stencils of European Paleolithic art tend to be considered of pre-Magdalenian age and scholars have generally assigned them to the Gravettian period. At El Castillo Cave, application of U-series dating to calcite accretions has... more
The hand stencils of European Paleolithic art tend to be considered of pre-Magdalenian age and scholars have generally assigned them to the Gravettian period. At El Castillo Cave, application of U-series dating to calcite accretions has established a minimum age of 37,290 years for underlying red hand stencils, implying execution in the earlier part of the Aurignacian if not beforehand. Together with the series of red disks, one of which has a minimum age of 40,800 years, these motifs lie at the base of the El Castillo parietal stratigraphy. The similarity in technique and colour support the notion that both kinds of artistic manifestations are synchronic and define an initial, non-figurative phase of European cave art. However, available data indicate that hand stencils continued to be painted subsequently. Currently, the youngest, reliably dated examples fall in the Late Gravettian, approximately 27,000 years ago.
Research Interests: Ancient History, Cognitive Science, Archaeology, Art, Palaeolithic Archaeology, and 15 morePaleolithic Europe, Medicine, Middle to Upper Paleolithic Transition, Prehistoric Rock Art, Cave, Rock Art, Humans, Chronology, Ice Age Cave Art, Paleolithic Art, Origin of symbolic behaviour, Caves, Radiometric Dating, Cave art, and Anthropological Sciences
The engraved design is in limestone horizontal surface, used like a treshing floor. Their location and their technique (pecking with metallic hammer) aim to relate the temporary moment of accomplishment of the design, with the preparation... more
The engraved design is in limestone horizontal surface, used like a treshing floor. Their location and their technique (pecking with metallic hammer) aim to relate the temporary moment of accomplishment of the design, with the preparation of surface destined to agricultural uses
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Palaeolithic representations can be approached from different perspectives. Studying the creative processes, we can glimpse the decisions that the Palaeolithic artists made and the actions they carried out to materialize an idea.... more
Palaeolithic representations can be approached from different perspectives. Studying the creative processes, we can glimpse the decisions that the Palaeolithic artists made and the actions they carried out to materialize an idea. Additionally, the combined study of both graphic and functional actions performed on an object provides a comprehensive approach and understanding of the evidence: in the first place, it allows us to hypothesize about the presence or absence of symbolic purpose of the representations; secondly, it makes the potential choice of eliminating such symbolism discernible for us. The monographic study of a Magdalenian pebble from Coímbre Cave (Asturias, Spain) engraved between 15,680 and 14,230 cal. BP shows that a mistake was made during the engraving process; subsequently an attempt was made to eliminate the representations, and finally the pebble was used as a hammerstone. This paper provides argumentation to reconstruct a complex biography of an object of Palaeolithic portable art, discussing intentional loss of symbolic value of both the decoration and the object and the latter's reuse (as raw material) for an economic or domestic purpose.
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We present an AMS radiocarbon date from a bird image in a cave on the island of Hispaniola in the northern Caribbean. Borbón Cave No. 1 contains a key rock art assemblage that likely reflects a significant part of past native Taíno... more
We present an AMS radiocarbon date from a bird image in a cave on the island of Hispaniola in the northern Caribbean. Borbón Cave No. 1 contains a key rock art assemblage that likely reflects a significant part of past native Taíno societies' symbolic thought and beliefs. The grouping has already served to define one rock art style in the Antilles: the Borbón School. Our sample yielded a date of 890 ± 30 BP (1045-1225 cal AD). This result, as well as additional published dates for the region, confirms that these images were created before European contact with the region. Further dating comparison indicates that Taíno artistic traditions persisted for some years after the arrival and settlement of Spanish colonists on the island.
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Resumen Se presenta el estudio integral de un soporte decorado con una forma lineal simple recuperado en el abrigo de Buendía, en un contexto magdaleniense datado en ±18000 cal BP. Se estudia el soporte y la forma decorada recurriendo al... more
Resumen Se presenta el estudio integral de un soporte decorado con una forma lineal simple recuperado en el abrigo de Buendía, en un contexto magdaleniense datado en ±18000 cal BP. Se estudia el soporte y la forma decorada recurriendo al análisis microscópico a fin de comprender la cadena operativa, concretada en la captación del soporte en el ámbito cercano, la preparación de la superficie antes de la ejecución gráfica, la realización de una decoración lineal simple y la modificación posterior de la superficie tras el dibujo, lo que plantea la pérdida del valor simbólico original. Considerando las evidencias arqueológicas asociadas a la pieza decorada, se concluye que la acción simbólica se llevó a cabo en un contexto multifuncional. La búsqueda de referentes similares en el arte mueble del sudoeste europeo pone de manifiesto la existencia de motivos similares magdalenienses. La comprensión de las cadenas operativas y la contextualización del arte mueble permitirán avanzar en el conocimiento de la función y uso del simbolismo gráfico. Palabras clave arte mueble, cadena operativa, decoración lineal, península ibérica, Paleolítico superior.
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Engraving sites are rare in mainland and Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) where painted art dominates the prehistoric artistic record. Here we report two new engraving sites from the Tutuala region of Timor-Leste comprising mostly humanoid... more
Engraving sites are rare in mainland and Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) where painted art dominates the prehistoric artistic record. Here we report two new engraving sites from the Tutuala region of Timor-Leste comprising mostly humanoid forms carved into speleothem columns in rock-shelters. Engraved face motifs have previously been reported from Lene Hara Cave in this same region, and one was dated to the Pleistocene–Holocene transition using the Uranium–Thorium method. We discuss the engravings in relation to changes in technology and material culture that took place in the terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene archaeological records in this region of Timor as well as neighbouring islands. We suggest that the engravings may have been produced as markers of territorial and social identity within the context of population expansion and greater inter-group contacts at this time.
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Paint technology, namely paint preparation and application procedures, is an important aspect of painting traditions. With the expansion of archaeometric studies and in situ nondestructive analytical methods, a renewal of technological... more
Paint technology, namely paint preparation and application procedures, is an important aspect of painting traditions. With the expansion of archaeometric studies and in situ nondestructive analytical methods, a renewal of technological studies is being observed in rock art. In situ analyses have several limitations that are widely discussed in the literature, however.
It is not yet clear whether they provide accurate information on paint technology, except under certain conditions. Here, we evaluated digital microscopic and pXRF in situ analyses for the characterisation of a large set of red and yellow paintings from the El Castillo cave, Cantabria, Spain. We have set experiments and used statistical methods to identify differences between paint components and determine factors impacting pXRF measurements. We found that the compositional heterogeneity of the paintings’ environment, especially variations in secondary deposits, was responsible for most of the differences observed between the pXRF signals recorded on the paintings. We concluded that the El Castillo cave environment is not suitable for non-destructive technological studies, but that more favourable contexts might exist. Following previous works and our own results, we advocate a combination of both in situ and laboratory invasive analyses for the study of paint composition and paint technology. Our research protocol, based on the comparison of rock paintings, their substrate, experimental paintings and Fe-normalisation of the signals can improve the reliability of pXRF results. We also propose to include more systematic characterisation of rock wall heterogeneity and the use of microscopic analyses in non-destructive approaches.
It is not yet clear whether they provide accurate information on paint technology, except under certain conditions. Here, we evaluated digital microscopic and pXRF in situ analyses for the characterisation of a large set of red and yellow paintings from the El Castillo cave, Cantabria, Spain. We have set experiments and used statistical methods to identify differences between paint components and determine factors impacting pXRF measurements. We found that the compositional heterogeneity of the paintings’ environment, especially variations in secondary deposits, was responsible for most of the differences observed between the pXRF signals recorded on the paintings. We concluded that the El Castillo cave environment is not suitable for non-destructive technological studies, but that more favourable contexts might exist. Following previous works and our own results, we advocate a combination of both in situ and laboratory invasive analyses for the study of paint composition and paint technology. Our research protocol, based on the comparison of rock paintings, their substrate, experimental paintings and Fe-normalisation of the signals can improve the reliability of pXRF results. We also propose to include more systematic characterisation of rock wall heterogeneity and the use of microscopic analyses in non-destructive approaches.
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Desde 2016 se ha retomado la investigación de los principales yacimientos arqueológicos de Ojo Guareña, una de las mayores cavidades europeas, cuyo objetivo es establecer una secuencia cronológica de la ocupación del espacio subterráneo.... more
Desde 2016 se ha retomado la investigación de los principales yacimientos arqueológicos de Ojo Guareña, una de las mayores cavidades europeas, cuyo objetivo es establecer una secuencia cronológica de la ocupación del espacio subterráneo. Las nuevas dataciones arqueológicas recientemente publicadas sobre los santuarios de arte rupestre de la Sala Cartón y Sala de las Pinturas (Ortega et al., 2020), así como del entorno de la Sala y Galerías de las Huellas (Ortega et al., 2021), permiten confirmar la reiteración de las exploraciones prehistóricas, documentando incluso incursiones en fases históricas, en este complejo de cavidades. Este artículo es una puesta en común de los resultados de las investigaciones en dichos sectores, insertadas en el contexto general de Ojo Guareña.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Rock Art (Archaeology), Prehistoric Europe (Archaeology), Prehistoric Art, and 8 moreEuropean Prehistory (Archaeology), Prehistory, Prehistoric Rock Art, Ice Age Cave Art, Prehistoric Archeology, Paleolithic Archaeology, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), and Arte Rupestre Prehistórico
Cave paintings are a fascinating legacy of prehistoric human groups, providing evidence of artistic and creative traditions of past human societies. Thus, cave paintings have been subject of many studies about motifs and their style,... more
Cave paintings are a fascinating legacy of prehistoric human groups, providing evidence of artistic and creative traditions of past human societies. Thus, cave paintings have been subject of many studies about motifs and their style, arrangements, superposition or pigment use. There were also attempts to establish a chronology of cave art, but this was hindered by a lack of suitable dating methods and absence of a stratigraphic relationship to excavated archaeology in the same cave. The advent of AMS 14C dating made it possible to obtain maximum ages for some motifs which were painted with organic pigments. This provided age control for a small fraction of cave paintings and was a huge step forward in cave art research. 14C dates on cave paintings and dated portable art, recovered from excavations, were combined with stylistic arguments to establish a “chronology” of cave art. The style has severe limitations
to be used to define the age of a painting, because the degree of synchronous morpho-stylistic variability is unknown. However, stylistic arguments – in some cases combined with assumed correlation with excavated
levels – have still been used to ’date’ many paintings, in most cases with inherent circular reasoning (von Petzinger and Nowell, 2011). Thus, reliable
knowledge about timing and evolution of rock art is still extremely limited and we contribute to the chronology of cave paintings by dating of associated speleothem formations.
to be used to define the age of a painting, because the degree of synchronous morpho-stylistic variability is unknown. However, stylistic arguments – in some cases combined with assumed correlation with excavated
levels – have still been used to ’date’ many paintings, in most cases with inherent circular reasoning (von Petzinger and Nowell, 2011). Thus, reliable
knowledge about timing and evolution of rock art is still extremely limited and we contribute to the chronology of cave paintings by dating of associated speleothem formations.
Research Interests: Rock Art (Archaeology), Palaeolithic Archaeology, Cognitive archaeology, Paleolithic Europe, Archaeology of Caves and Caverns (Archaeospeleology), and 8 moreNeanderthals (Palaeolithic Archaeology), Prehistoric Rock Art, Rock Art, Middle Paleolithic, Ice Age Cave Art, Neanderthals, Paleolithic Archaeology, and Rock art research
Research Interests: Archaeology and Antiquity
The objective of the paper is to determine convergences or divergences in the placement of cave art through the combined study of parietal art and the specific space in which it was executed. The proposed methodology is based on the... more
The objective of the paper is to determine convergences or divergences in the placement of cave art through the combined study of parietal art and the specific space in which it was executed. The proposed methodology is based on the definition of the concepts of graphic space, visibility, access and capacity. Through these, a series of variables have been created to analyse in the cave: the presence of an archaeological context, the specific location of the figures, divided into three levels of study –graphic unit, panel and topographic unit–, the cave transit, the selected spaces and the potential visibility and observer capacity at each level. This methodology has been applied to Chufín Cave (Cantabria, Spain). By studying the location of the dif- ferent panels, two potential uses for the cave were determined: some panels are located on highly visible surfaces in large spaces of the cave using the techniques of deep engraving and drawing with red pigments. In contrast, other panels are situated in low visibility areas of more difficult access, with the technique of shallow engraving. This evidence might point towards a more widespread use of cave art in the first case, possibly including all the community, and a restricted use in the second case.
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Numerical chronology is one of the main sources of information by which one may contextualize prehistoric human activity more precisely. It is able to discriminate between different times of visits to caves and determine the period with... more
Numerical chronology is one of the main sources of information by which one may contextualize prehistoric human activity more precisely. It is able to discriminate between different times of visits to caves and determine the period with which each form of evidence should be associated and the relationships between them. The application of conventional 14C and 14C-AMS has dated visits to the Palaeolithic cave art site of Las Monedas during historical times. The results underscore the caution that is needed when dating a cave art ensemble based on an undated archaeological context or attributing all the graphic activity to a single time.
Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Rock Art (Archaeology), Early Medieval Archaeology, AMS 14C dating, Medieval Art, and 11 morePaleolithic Europe, Upper Paleolithic, Prehistoric Rock Art, Rock Art, Paleolithic, Arte Rupestre, Ice Age Cave Art, Paleolithic Archaeology, Cave art, Arte Rupestre Prehistórico, and UNESCO world heritage
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Hand stencils are the oldest manifestations of Palaeolithic cave art. Recent archaeological field research in the Tutuala region of Timor-Leste has documented new archaeological sites at the Lene Kici caves that include Palaeolithic hand... more
Hand stencils are the oldest manifestations of Palaeolithic cave art. Recent archaeological field research in the Tutuala region of Timor-Leste has documented new archaeological sites at the Lene Kici caves that include Palaeolithic hand motifs and other nonfigurative motifs including a disk, dots, a triangle, and possible other geometric shapes. This study characterizes the production techniques, shapes, composition, and spatial locations of these motifs. Based on the available information and regional context, a Pleistocene chronology is considered highly probable. The context of the hand stencils suggests they were not occasional motifs; rather, they seem to have dominated the early graphic repertoire of the earliest settler groups in Southeast Asia and the islands of Wallacea.
Research Interests: Languages and Linguistics, Rock Art (Archaeology), Palaeolithic Archaeology, Timor-Leste Studies, Symbolic Anthropology (Anthropology), and 12 morePrehistoric Rock Art, East Timor, Rock Art, Palaeolithic, Ice Age Cave Art, Timor-Leste, Paleolithic Archaeology, Palaeolithic Art, Rock art research, Hands on science, Cave art, and Symbolic Behavior
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Our knowledge about Paleolithic art has been changing substantially and new discoveries and dates are modifying some traditionally accepted considerations. In this context, the geographic spread and the end of this graphic-artistic cycle... more
Our knowledge about Paleolithic art has been changing substantially and new discoveries and dates are modifying some traditionally accepted considerations. In this context, the geographic spread and the end of this graphic-artistic cycle are two of the main topics of the current scientific debate. The discovery and study of rock art in Cova Eirós, located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, whose walls display geometric / stylized animals with linear interior fills, widens the territory of Paleolithic rock art in North Iberia beyond the traditional Franco-Cantabrian core. This find is framed in the successive discoveries made in the last 20 years that break with the perception of the Franco-Cantabrian region as being the core of the Paleolithic art. Moreover, the formal and stylistic features of some motifs from Cova Eirós allow to ascribe them to the final stages of the Paleolithic-style portable and rock art, classified as Style V or fini-Paleolithic; a pan-European tradition that began ~ 12,000-11,500 BP and lasted up to ~9,500-9,000 BP, in correspondence with the last hunter-gatherer groups.
Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Rock Art (Archaeology), Palaeolithic Archaeology, Mesolithic/Epipalaeolithic Archaeology, Prehistoric Art, and 8 moreUpper Paleolithic, Prehistoric Rock Art, Ice Age Cave Art, Paleolithic Art, Paleolithic Archaeology, Epipaleolithic, Palaeolithic Art, and Arte Rupestre Prehistórico
The comprehensive study of spaces decorated during the Palaeolithic is able to obtain information about visits to the sites and their uses. However, it is essential to determine the temporal relationship between the different forms of... more
The comprehensive study of spaces decorated during the Palaeolithic is able to obtain information about visits to the sites and their uses. However, it is essential to determine the temporal relationship between the different forms of archaeological evidence and not assume their synchronicity with the parietal art. Therefore, numerical dates are necessary. 14C-AMS dates for the art and other evidence in the Sala de las Pinturas in Ojo Guareña Cave have documented discontinuous human visits to the site from 13,000 to~1000 cal BP, in the course of at least five phases. This new information implies the observation and probably the use of the Palaeolithic art by farming communities after its creation by hunter-gatherers. The fact that decorated caves were used repeatedly adds a new dimension to the study of Palaeolithic art, which may have been reused in a time after it was produced, and underscores the need to date archaeological events to understand the degree of synchronicity and/or diachronicity of the human actions.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Rock Art (Archaeology), Palaeolithic Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, and 12 moreBronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Chalcolithic Archaeology, Neolithic Europe, Paleolithic Europe, Prehistoric Art, Prehistory, Prehistoric Rock Art, Ice Age Cave Art, Prehistoric Archeology, Middle Aged, and Symbolic Behavior
Rock art dating has been one of the major challenges since its discovery and recognition. The methods have evolved through the last century, beginning with the study of superpositions and style until to the application of numeric methods... more
Rock art dating has been one of the major challenges since its discovery and recognition. The methods have evolved through the last century, beginning with the study of superpositions and style until to the application of numeric methods since the 1990s. The aim of this paper is to evaluate and publish an up-to-date database of all of the numerical dates currently available for Iberian prehistoric rock art sites. For this purpose, the manuscript reviews all the methods applied so far to Iberian rock art discussing the limits, the sampling involved, and the problems affecting the results. After that, we present and discuss the most relevant results related to each cultural graphic tradition (Palaeolithic, Levantine, Schematic and Megalithic rock art) assessing their value and limitations. Finally, we reflect on the future of rock art dating: unfortunately most of the motifs are not dateble in numeric terms, meaning we still have to combine traditional with numerical methods; but also, we need to keep working on the problems affecting these methods to be able to create a more reliable chronological framework of use to address other issues such as group mobility, cultural networks, and reutilisation of symbolic elements, to name a few.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Palaeolithic Archaeology, Megalithic Monuments, AMS 14C dating, and 15 moreIberian Prehistory (Archaeology), Megaliths (Archaeology), Prehistoric Europe (Archaeology), Prehistoric Art, Prehistory, Prehistoric Rock Art, Uranium series dating, Chronology, Ice Age Cave Art, Prehistoric Archeology, Megalithism, Megalithic Art, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), Cave art, and Arte Rupestre Prehistórico
Los avances tecnológicos están permitiendo que se produzcan nuevos descubrimientos de cavidades con arte rupestre y de grafías en cuevas estudiadas en las que se ya conocían representaciones. En este marco se produjo el descubrimiento de... more
Los avances tecnológicos están permitiendo que se produzcan nuevos descubrimientos de cavidades con arte rupestre y de grafías en cuevas estudiadas en las que se ya conocían representaciones. En este marco se produjo el descubrimiento de una nueva galería en la cueva de Ekain (Zestoa, Gipuzkoa). Se trata de un conducto de reducidas dimensiones, denominado La Fontana. En sus paredes se trazaron representaciones figurativas (caballos) y no figurativas (líneas simples) ejecutadas mediante trazo digital sobre arcilla de descalcificación.
Este nuevo descubrimiento motivó el reestudio de figuras ejecutadas mediante la misma técnica en la parte final de la galería de Azkenzaldei, área en la que además se localizó un nuevo conjunto de representaciones, mayoritariamente no figurativas. En cuanto a la cronología, la falta de medios para datar directamente este tipo de representaciones nos lleva a aplicar el análisis estilístico. La comparación con otras figuras de la misma cavidad apunta a que se trata de grabados ejecutados durante fases avanzadas del Magdaleniense.
Este nuevo descubrimiento motivó el reestudio de figuras ejecutadas mediante la misma técnica en la parte final de la galería de Azkenzaldei, área en la que además se localizó un nuevo conjunto de representaciones, mayoritariamente no figurativas. En cuanto a la cronología, la falta de medios para datar directamente este tipo de representaciones nos lleva a aplicar el análisis estilístico. La comparación con otras figuras de la misma cavidad apunta a que se trata de grabados ejecutados durante fases avanzadas del Magdaleniense.
Research Interests:
The presence of rock and portable art on Sicily has been recognized since World War II. This record has been unanimously attributed to the Upper Palaeolithic in the published literature, based almost uniquely on stylistic reasoning. Here... more
The presence of rock and portable art on Sicily has been recognized since World War II. This record has been unanimously attributed to the Upper Palaeolithic in the published literature, based almost uniquely on stylistic reasoning. Here we present the first absolute dates in direct association with the Sicilian art record. These data provide new insights into the life of Southern European hunter-gatherers and their relationships with coeval groups from Western Europe, contributing a fresh perspective on the ongoing discussion about the development and coexistence of different art traditions in Europe during the final phases of the Pleistocene and at the beginning of the Holocene.
Research Interests:
In a recent paper, White et al. (2020) urge caution in accepting our UeTh dates on calcite associated with cave paintings (Hoffmann et al., 2018a) and our conclusions that Neanderthals made paintings in three caves in Spain at least 65 ka... more
In a recent paper, White et al. (2020) urge caution in accepting
our UeTh dates on calcite associated with cave paintings
(Hoffmann et al., 2018a) and our conclusions that Neanderthals
made paintings in three caves in Spain at least 65 ka ago. They
argue that (1) uranium loss from calcite can lead to erroneously old
dates and consequently UeTh dates require validation by other
methods (e.g., 14C); (2) there are problems with our sampling
methodology that can lead to unreliable dates; and (3) the existing
corpus of 14C dates on cave art, including hand stencils and rectangular
signs, argues against the production of any cave art before
38 ka BP. They believe our results to be "especially troubling" as
they "contradict more than one hundred years of research observations
on the Neanderthal and modern human archaeological
record" (White et al., 2020: 2).
our UeTh dates on calcite associated with cave paintings
(Hoffmann et al., 2018a) and our conclusions that Neanderthals
made paintings in three caves in Spain at least 65 ka ago. They
argue that (1) uranium loss from calcite can lead to erroneously old
dates and consequently UeTh dates require validation by other
methods (e.g., 14C); (2) there are problems with our sampling
methodology that can lead to unreliable dates; and (3) the existing
corpus of 14C dates on cave art, including hand stencils and rectangular
signs, argues against the production of any cave art before
38 ka BP. They believe our results to be "especially troubling" as
they "contradict more than one hundred years of research observations
on the Neanderthal and modern human archaeological
record" (White et al., 2020: 2).
Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Symbolism (Art History), Paleolithic Europe, Neanderthals (Palaeolithic Archaeology), Middle to Upper Paleolithic Transition, and 12 moreMiddle Palaeolithic, Prehistoric Rock Art, Neandertals, Uranium series dating, Chronology, Ice Age Cave Art, Paleolithic Art, Neanderthals, Paleolithic Archaeology, Cave art, Arte Rupestre Prehistórico, and Symbolic Behavior
The distribution of known Pleistocene painted rock art in Island South-east Asia is currently limited to islands on the northern dispersal route to Australia. Here we report the discovery of at least 16 hand stencil motifs in Lene Hara... more
The distribution of known Pleistocene painted rock art in Island South-east Asia is currently limited to islands on the northern dispersal route to Australia. Here we report the discovery of at least 16 hand stencil motifs in Lene Hara Cave, Timor-Leste; a site on the alternate southern arc route. Superimposition, preservation state, differing ‘canvas’ materials (i.e. painted surfaces), and the location of the stencils in the internal (darker) part of the cave chamber together suggest that they represent an independent artistic phase that pre-dates the Holocene Austronesian Painting Tradition. The stencils are therefore recognised as a chronologically distinct painted rock art tradition, with a Pleistocene age considered most likely. Such findings have important implications for our understandings on the origins and spread of art in south-east Asia.
Research Interests:
Ekain cave (Deba, Gipuzkoa) has been researched for the last five decades and has been kept closed to the general public. This fact has allowed an exceptional preservation of the depictions. The re-study of rock art sites discovered... more
Ekain cave (Deba, Gipuzkoa) has been researched for the last five decades and has been kept closed to the general public. This fact has allowed an exceptional preservation of the depictions. The re-study of rock art sites discovered during the 20th century and the improvement of the survey and recording methodologies are allowing significant advances in the Upper Palaeolithic research. In this paper we present a new graphic ensemble in the entrance gallery to Ekain cave, also known as Erdibide. We located several pigment stains, a triangular sign and an incomplete depiction of a bison, all drawn in red. This taxon is not new in the cave: other bison have previously been registered in black, red or even engraved; they are incomplete and, in general, lack internal details. Because of this there is a contrast with the horses, technically and stylistically more elaborated. The style of these bison, ascribed mostly to the Niaux morphotype, allows to associate them to the middle-to-late Magdalenian and would, probably, be culturally synchronic to the horses that characterise the cave.
RESUMEN La cueva de Ekain (Deba, Gipuzkoa) ha sido estudiada durante las últimas cinco décadas y se ha mantenido cerrada al público general por motivos de conservación, hecho que ha permitido que las grafías se preserven de una manera excepcional. El re-estudio de los conjuntos descubiertos durante el siglo XX junto con la mejora de los métodos de prospección y registro está permitiendo nuevos avances en la investi-gación del arte paleolítico cantábrico. En este artículo presentamos un nuevo conjunto gráfico descubierto en la galería de entrada a la cueva de Ekain conocida como Erdibide. Se han localizado restos de pigmento, un signo triangular y una representación parcial de bisonte en color rojo. Este taxón no constituye una representación nueva en la cueva. Se han registrado previamente otros, tanto pintados en negro o en rojo e incluso grabados; se caracterizan por estar incompletos y carecer, prácticamente, de detalles internos, hecho que contrasta con los caba-llos, técnica y estilísticamente más elaborados. El estilo característico de estos bisontes, adscritos al tipo Niaux, permite asociarlos a la fase media-avanzada del Magdaleniense y serían, muy probablemente, culturalmente sincrónicos al numeroso conjunto de caballos de la cueva. LABURPENA Ekaingo leizea (Deba, Gipuzkoa) azken bost hamarkadatan aztertu izan da eta publikoarentzako itxita egon da kontserbazio-arrazoiak direla-eta. Horri esker, grafiak bikain zainduta daude. XX. mendean aurkitutako multzoak berraztertu egin dira eta, aldi berean, hobetu egin dira zulaketarako eta erregistrorako metodoak. Horiei esker, aurrerapen berriak egin dira Paleolitoko arte kantauriarraren ikerketan. Artikulu honetan, Ekaingo leizearen sarrerako galerian, Erdibide izenekoan, aurkitutako multzo grafiko berria aurkeztuko dugu. Pigmentu-hondarrak, ikur triangeluar bat eta bisonte baten zati baten errepresentazioa, gorria, aurkitu dira. Taxon hori ez da leizeko errepresentazio berri bat. Au-rrez, beltzez edo gorriz margotutako beste batzuk ere erregistratuta daude; baita grabatuak ere. Osatu gabe daude eta ez dute ia barneko xehetasunik, zaldietan ez bezala; izan ere, zaldien irudiak, teknikoki eta estilistikoki, landuagoak dira. Bisonte horien estilo bereizgarriak, Niaux estiloak, aukera ematen du irudiak Madeleine aldiaren erdialdeko fasearekin edo fase aurreratuarekin lotzeko eta, seguru asko, leizeko zaldi kopuru handiaren sinkroniko izango ziren kulturalki. (1) Retorno a Ekain (Deba, Gipuzkoa): un nuevo conjunto gráfico paleolítico en la galería Erdibide
RESUMEN La cueva de Ekain (Deba, Gipuzkoa) ha sido estudiada durante las últimas cinco décadas y se ha mantenido cerrada al público general por motivos de conservación, hecho que ha permitido que las grafías se preserven de una manera excepcional. El re-estudio de los conjuntos descubiertos durante el siglo XX junto con la mejora de los métodos de prospección y registro está permitiendo nuevos avances en la investi-gación del arte paleolítico cantábrico. En este artículo presentamos un nuevo conjunto gráfico descubierto en la galería de entrada a la cueva de Ekain conocida como Erdibide. Se han localizado restos de pigmento, un signo triangular y una representación parcial de bisonte en color rojo. Este taxón no constituye una representación nueva en la cueva. Se han registrado previamente otros, tanto pintados en negro o en rojo e incluso grabados; se caracterizan por estar incompletos y carecer, prácticamente, de detalles internos, hecho que contrasta con los caba-llos, técnica y estilísticamente más elaborados. El estilo característico de estos bisontes, adscritos al tipo Niaux, permite asociarlos a la fase media-avanzada del Magdaleniense y serían, muy probablemente, culturalmente sincrónicos al numeroso conjunto de caballos de la cueva. LABURPENA Ekaingo leizea (Deba, Gipuzkoa) azken bost hamarkadatan aztertu izan da eta publikoarentzako itxita egon da kontserbazio-arrazoiak direla-eta. Horri esker, grafiak bikain zainduta daude. XX. mendean aurkitutako multzoak berraztertu egin dira eta, aldi berean, hobetu egin dira zulaketarako eta erregistrorako metodoak. Horiei esker, aurrerapen berriak egin dira Paleolitoko arte kantauriarraren ikerketan. Artikulu honetan, Ekaingo leizearen sarrerako galerian, Erdibide izenekoan, aurkitutako multzo grafiko berria aurkeztuko dugu. Pigmentu-hondarrak, ikur triangeluar bat eta bisonte baten zati baten errepresentazioa, gorria, aurkitu dira. Taxon hori ez da leizeko errepresentazio berri bat. Au-rrez, beltzez edo gorriz margotutako beste batzuk ere erregistratuta daude; baita grabatuak ere. Osatu gabe daude eta ez dute ia barneko xehetasunik, zaldietan ez bezala; izan ere, zaldien irudiak, teknikoki eta estilistikoki, landuagoak dira. Bisonte horien estilo bereizgarriak, Niaux estiloak, aukera ematen du irudiak Madeleine aldiaren erdialdeko fasearekin edo fase aurreratuarekin lotzeko eta, seguru asko, leizeko zaldi kopuru handiaren sinkroniko izango ziren kulturalki. (1) Retorno a Ekain (Deba, Gipuzkoa): un nuevo conjunto gráfico paleolítico en la galería Erdibide
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Rock Art (Archaeology), World Cultural Heritage, Paleolithic Europe, and 12 moreArchaeology of Caves and Caverns (Archaeospeleology), Upper Paleolithic, Prehistoric Rock Art, Rock Art, Magdalenian, Paleolithic, Arte Rupestre, Ice Age Cave Art, Paleolithic Archaeology, Paleolítico, Arte Rupestre Prehistórico, and UNESCO world heritage
We have all asked ourselves when art first appeared; when humans first drew, painted, engraved, or sculpted forms in order to transmit concepts and ideas different from their formal materiality. It is not easy to answer that question... more
We have all asked ourselves when art first appeared; when humans first drew, painted, engraved, or sculpted forms in order to transmit concepts and ideas different from their formal materiality. It is not easy to answer that question because the information is based on archaeological evidence (with the limitations that this implies in terms of the object and the contextualization of its chronology and use) and modern conditioning factors about the understanding of the objects. The first consideration is obvious: what is art? To discuss this would be to enter an unending debate. To avoid that, as it is not the objective of this book, it is preferable to express our position directly. Art is a tangible creation through which the author, either an individual or a representative of a society, potentially transmits an idea or concept which goes (or may go) beyond formal materialization; a “formal vehicle” that a person or a group endows with a particular meaning. Therefore, it is a formal constructed graphic language, perceived and understood by the members of the human group that created it and which may also possess a potential meaning beyond the “precise moment” of its creation and thus possess a sense of timelessness. It should also be added that art is not necessarily associated with beauty. The current state of discussion of this topic in our discipline has demonstrated that aspect of beauty forms part of the “vehicle” of the meaning that the forms generate in the observer and interpreter of the graphic creation. This is to say that with a greater perception of beauty (something that pleases the eye and, by extension, the “spirit” of the observer), there is great ease of comprehension and/or acceptance of
the message. The study of the origins of art, or graphic languages, is not simple as we do not possess all the evidence that would enable a precise conclusion. However, archaeology, with the material evidence that has reached us and which it has succeeded in discovering, is endeavoring to seek the origins. It is a constant and intense search in which scientific debate is not out of place.
the message. The study of the origins of art, or graphic languages, is not simple as we do not possess all the evidence that would enable a precise conclusion. However, archaeology, with the material evidence that has reached us and which it has succeeded in discovering, is endeavoring to seek the origins. It is a constant and intense search in which scientific debate is not out of place.
Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Art History, Languages and Linguistics, Rock Art (Archaeology), Palaeolithic Archaeology, and 15 morePrehistoric Art, Neanderthals (Palaeolithic Archaeology), Lower Paleolithic, Middle to Upper Paleolithic Transition, Origin of Language, Lower and Middle Paleolithic, Middle Palaeolithic, Prehistoric Rock Art, Rock Art, Paleolithic, Paleolithic Art, Neanderthals, Paleolithic Archaeology, Homo Erectus, and Rock art research
Aubert et al. (2018) discuss and criticize age constraints for Paleolithic cave paintings recently published by Hoffmann et al. (2018). Aubert et al. (2018) reiterate the importance of demonstrating the human origin of the painting as... more
Aubert et al. (2018) discuss and criticize age constraints for
Paleolithic cave paintings recently published by Hoffmann et al.
(2018). Aubert et al. (2018) reiterate the importance of demonstrating
the human origin of the painting as well as the stratigraphic
relationship between the dated calcite and the art. They
argue that (1) in Ardales the red pigment found on curtain formations
could be of natural origin, or accidently transferred onto
the speleothem surface by humans, and (2) in Maltravieso and La
Pasiega we have not demonstrated that the dated calcite formations
overlie the pigment. Here we clarify why we feel these
criticisms are unfounded.
Paleolithic cave paintings recently published by Hoffmann et al.
(2018). Aubert et al. (2018) reiterate the importance of demonstrating
the human origin of the painting as well as the stratigraphic
relationship between the dated calcite and the art. They
argue that (1) in Ardales the red pigment found on curtain formations
could be of natural origin, or accidently transferred onto
the speleothem surface by humans, and (2) in Maltravieso and La
Pasiega we have not demonstrated that the dated calcite formations
overlie the pigment. Here we clarify why we feel these
criticisms are unfounded.
Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Rock Art (Archaeology), Prehistoric Europe (Archaeology), Paleolithic Europe, Prehistoric Art, and 15 moreNeanderthals (Palaeolithic Archaeology), Middle to Upper Paleolithic Transition, Prehistory, Middle Palaeolithic, Prehistoric Rock Art, Neandertals, Middle Paleolithic, Uranium series dating, Arte Rupestre, Chronology, Ice Age Cave Art, Prehistoric Archeology, Neanderthals, Cave art, and Arte Rupestre Prehistórico
We present in this work the integral study of the portable art of Fariseu (Côa Valley). Eighty-five engraved pieces and four painted ones form the studied collection. The chronological attribution to the Late Dryas/ beginning of the... more
We present in this work the integral study of the portable art of Fariseu (Côa Valley). Eighty-five engraved pieces and four painted ones form the studied collection. The chronological attribution to the Late Dryas/ beginning of the Pre-boreal is perfectly assured by the stratigraphic origin of the pieces. The technical and stylistic attributes of the figures are similar to some of the rock art of the Côa valley, making the collection an important chronological referent to a vast number of engraved and painted panels of the region. Those technical and stylistic attributes are also similar to others from Southwest Europe that are dated from the end of the Late glacial period, which denotes the affiliation of this rock art facies in a graphic tradition of a broader geographic range.
Research Interests:
The determination of the sex of the individuals who placed their hands on cave walls in order to leave the stenciled paintings of their hands, has been the subject of considerable debate in recent years. Many research projects have been... more
The determination of the sex of the individuals who placed their hands on cave walls in order to leave the stenciled paintings of their hands, has been the subject of considerable debate in recent years. Many research projects have been carried out with varied results. This study has attempted to obtain new data through an experimental approach that is then applied to the prehistoric hand stencils in El Castillo Cave. In the experiment, 77 samples (hand stencils) of western adults from the Iberian Peninsula, 46 women and 31 men, were taken. For each modern individual (22 women and 18 men), both the stencils and the real size of their hands were measured. This data was then compared with the Paleolithic stencils to determine whether there was a range of variation between the negative image and the actual hand. The measurements taken into account were the general hand length, index finger length and ring finger length. Discriminatory statistical analysis was used for the experimental work and the measurements collected in the field. In the data obtained in the experimental study, significant differences were observed in the length of male and female fingers, but not in the ring fingers themselves. Discriminant analyses show that it is the absolute finger lengths and not the ring fingers that are able to discriminate between men and women. By applying this function to 21 stenciled hands in El Castillo Cave, it was found that 11 belong to women and 10 to men, indicating equal gender representation. Three of the 21 hands may be wrongly sexed according to the discriminant function. However, there is a significant difference between the real finger measurements and the measurements of their stencils in the experimental study, as the negative images overestimate the real values.
Research Interests: Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Rock Art (Archaeology), Palaeolithic Archaeology, Symbolic Anthropology (Anthropology), and 14 morePaleolithic Europe, Prehistoric Rock Art, Sexual dimorphism, Rock Art, Arte Rupestre, Ice Age Cave Art, Paleolithic Art, Palaeolithic Europe, Palaeolithic archaeology, Mesolithic archaeology, Prehistoric transitions, Environmental archaeology, Archaeozoology, Pleistocene fauna, Palaeoclimate, Refugia and recolonisation, Spatial analysis, Palaeolithic art and symbolism, Rock art research, Hands on science, Human Sexual Dimorphism, Cave art, Arte Rupestre Prehistórico, and Symbolic Behavior
Research Interests:
El presente texto constituye una síntesis de los resultados de los trabajos arqueológicos de campo relativos al estudio integral de las manifestaciones gráficas de la cueva de La Covaciella que se iniciaron en 2014 y que se desarrollaron... more
El presente texto constituye una síntesis de los resultados de los trabajos arqueológicos de campo relativos al estudio integral de las manifestaciones gráficas de la cueva de La Covaciella que se iniciaron en 2014 y que se desarrollaron hasta el año 2015, fecha en que se llevó a cabo la publicación monográfica (García-Diez et al., 2015), que incluyó valoraciones más amplias para integrar su arte en las discusiones del arte paleolítico europeo.
Research Interests:
Slimak et al. challenge the reliability of our oldest (>65,000 years) U-Th dates on carbonates associated with cave paintings in Spain. They cite a supposed lack of parietal art for the 25,000 years following this date, along with... more
Slimak et al. challenge the reliability of our oldest (>65,000 years) U-Th dates on carbonates associated with cave paintings in Spain. They cite a supposed lack of parietal art for the 25,000 years following this date, along with potential methodological issues relating to open-system behavior and corrections to detrital or source water 230 Th. We show that their criticisms are unfounded.
Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Rock Art (Archaeology), Palaeolithic Archaeology, Geochronology, Symbolic Anthropology (Anthropology), and 15 morePaleolithic Europe, Prehistoric Art, Neanderthals (Palaeolithic Archaeology), Middle to Upper Paleolithic Transition, Middle Palaeolithic, Prehistoric Rock Art, Rock Art, Neandertals, Middle Paleolithic, Uranium series dating, Arte Rupestre, Paleolithic Archaeology, Arte Rupestre Prehistórico, Symbolic Behavior, and Series De Uranio
Monografia completa de la cueva de Covaciella
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Libro sobre métodos y técnicas en arqueología prehistórica que se estructura en los siguientes capítulos: La prospección de superficie, La excavación arqueológica, La datación por carbono-14, La datación por las series de Uranio, La... more
Libro sobre métodos y técnicas en arqueología prehistórica que se estructura en los siguientes capítulos: La prospección de superficie, La excavación arqueológica, La datación por carbono-14, La datación por las series de Uranio, La datación por Resonancia Paramagnética Electrónica (ESR), La datación por luminiscencia de sedimentos arqueológicos, Paleomagnetismo, La reconstrucción de los medios físicos y el análisis de paleopaisajes, Estratigrafía y análisis de facies, La Estratigrafía Analítica, La micromorfología de suelos, La arqueología del paisaje: análisis macro y meso-espacial, Análisis micro-espacial: áreas domésticas, variabilidad funcional y patrones temporales, Arqueopalinología, Fitolitos, almidones y fibras, Macrorrestos vegetales arqueológicos, Paleoecología, Arqueozoología, Tafonomía, Antropología física, Paleogenética humana, Materias primas líticas, Tipología y tecnología lítica, Tipología analítica, El análisis funcional de los instrumentos prehistóricos, Producciones óseas funcionales y decorativas, Producciones cerámicas, Arqueometalurgia, Arte prehistórico, Arqueología experimental y Etnoarqueología.
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El arte rupestre paleolítico es un documento excepcional del comportamiento simbólico de los primeros grupos humanos. Después de más de un siglo de estudio, la información disponible para el estudio de su cronología numérica es escasa.... more
El arte rupestre paleolítico es un documento excepcional del comportamiento simbólico de los primeros grupos humanos. Después de más de un siglo de estudio, la información
disponible para el estudio de su cronología numérica es escasa. Se presentan las fechas obtenidas por la aplicación del método de la serie del Uranio a depósitos de calcita asociados a
motivos rupestres de tres cuevas españolas (Altamira, El Castillo y Tito Bustillo) inscritas en la Lista del Patrimonio Mundial por la UNESCO. Los resultados demuestran que la tradición pictórica en cuevas se remonta, al menos, a los inicios del Auriñaciense, con una edad mínima de 40.800 años para un disco rojo, 37.300 años para una mano negativa y 35.600 para un signo rojo. Estas edades mínimas revelan que el arte rupestre formaba parte del repertorio cultural de los primeros humanos europeos anatómicamente modernos en Europa o que, los neandertales también pudieron involucrarse en la decoración de las cavidades.
Paleolithic cave art is an exceptional archive of early human symbolic behavior, but because obtaining reliable dates has been difficult, its chronology is still poorly understood after
more than a century of study. We present uranium-series disequilibrium dates of calcite deposits overlying or underlying art found in three caves, including the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Altamira, El Castillo, and Tito Bustillo, Spain. The results demonstrate that the tradition of decorating caves extends back at least to the Early Aurignacian period, with minimum ages of 40.8 thousand years for a red disk, 37.3 thousand years for a hand stencil, and 35.6 thousand years for a claviform-like symbol. These minimum ages reveal either that cave art was a part of the cultural repertoire of the first anatomically modern humans in Europe or that perhaps Neandertals also engaged in painting caves.
disponible para el estudio de su cronología numérica es escasa. Se presentan las fechas obtenidas por la aplicación del método de la serie del Uranio a depósitos de calcita asociados a
motivos rupestres de tres cuevas españolas (Altamira, El Castillo y Tito Bustillo) inscritas en la Lista del Patrimonio Mundial por la UNESCO. Los resultados demuestran que la tradición pictórica en cuevas se remonta, al menos, a los inicios del Auriñaciense, con una edad mínima de 40.800 años para un disco rojo, 37.300 años para una mano negativa y 35.600 para un signo rojo. Estas edades mínimas revelan que el arte rupestre formaba parte del repertorio cultural de los primeros humanos europeos anatómicamente modernos en Europa o que, los neandertales también pudieron involucrarse en la decoración de las cavidades.
Paleolithic cave art is an exceptional archive of early human symbolic behavior, but because obtaining reliable dates has been difficult, its chronology is still poorly understood after
more than a century of study. We present uranium-series disequilibrium dates of calcite deposits overlying or underlying art found in three caves, including the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Altamira, El Castillo, and Tito Bustillo, Spain. The results demonstrate that the tradition of decorating caves extends back at least to the Early Aurignacian period, with minimum ages of 40.8 thousand years for a red disk, 37.3 thousand years for a hand stencil, and 35.6 thousand years for a claviform-like symbol. These minimum ages reveal either that cave art was a part of the cultural repertoire of the first anatomically modern humans in Europe or that perhaps Neandertals also engaged in painting caves.
Research Interests: Rock Art (Archaeology), Unesco, Symbolic Anthropology (Anthropology), World Cultural Heritage, Aurignacian, and 12 moreUpper Paleolithic, Prehistoric Rock Art, Rock Art, Arte Rupestre, Chronology, Ice Age Cave Art, Cave art, Arte Rupestre Prehistórico, Auriñaciense, UNESCO world heritage, Arte paleolítico, and Symbolic Behavior
Tradicionalmente las manos paleolíticas se atribuyen a una cronología gravetiense. A pesar de ello, algunos investigadores proponen su ejecución en fases más antiguas o recientes. El objetivo del presente trabajo es delimitar el contexto... more
Tradicionalmente las manos paleolíticas se atribuyen a una cronología gravetiense. A pesar de ello, algunos investigadores proponen su ejecución en fases más antiguas o recientes.
El objetivo del presente trabajo es delimitar el contexto cronológico y cultural en el que se llevaron a cabo. Se recopilan y discuten los datos disponibles para el ámbito ibérico y francés,
teniendo en cuenta la información procedente de la datación radiométrica, el recubrimiento estratigráfico, las uperposiciones entre grafías, los contextos culturales espacialmente inmediatos.
y del arte mueble.
The most common view is considering the Paleolithic hands as Gravettian representations. However, some researchers propose its execution in more ancient or more recent stages.
The aim of this study is to define the chronology in which these representations were painted. Are collected and discussed the available data from radiometric dating, stratigraphy covering,
graphic stratigraphy, cultural contexts associated with hands and portable art, in the Iberian
Peninsula and France.
El objetivo del presente trabajo es delimitar el contexto cronológico y cultural en el que se llevaron a cabo. Se recopilan y discuten los datos disponibles para el ámbito ibérico y francés,
teniendo en cuenta la información procedente de la datación radiométrica, el recubrimiento estratigráfico, las uperposiciones entre grafías, los contextos culturales espacialmente inmediatos.
y del arte mueble.
The most common view is considering the Paleolithic hands as Gravettian representations. However, some researchers propose its execution in more ancient or more recent stages.
The aim of this study is to define the chronology in which these representations were painted. Are collected and discussed the available data from radiometric dating, stratigraphy covering,
graphic stratigraphy, cultural contexts associated with hands and portable art, in the Iberian
Peninsula and France.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
El texto presenta diferentes problemáticas vinculadas al estudio y método del arte paleolítico. Se analizan los procesos de autentificación, los protocolos de reconocimiento y documentación, las variables de estudio, los sistemas de... more
El texto presenta diferentes problemáticas vinculadas al estudio y método del arte paleolítico. Se analizan los procesos de autentificación, los protocolos de reconocimiento y documentación, las variables de estudio, los sistemas de datación y la problemática vinculada a la interpretación. El texto presenta un carácter académico.
Research Interests:
The Franco-Cantabrian group of cave art ranks among the best known examples of Paleolithic symbolic behaviour. For more than a century no decorated cave was reported beyond the Nalón valley in the center of Asturias, until the carvings... more
The Franco-Cantabrian group of cave art ranks among the best known examples of Paleolithic symbolic behaviour. For more than a century no decorated cave was reported beyond the Nalón valley in the center of Asturias, until the carvings and paintings from Cova Eirós were discovered. At more than 100 km from the Nalón, Eirós' art remains an isolated spot in the NW Iberian peninsula and, unlike other famous places like Altamira the images from Eirós (horses, bovids and signs) have been dated in a very late stage of the Paleolithic cave art. Still Eirós shows interesting coincidences (in stylistic and chronological terms) with other decorated sites (both caves and open-air) in the Douro valley, sometimes hundreds of kilometers away, hinting at the existence of shared systems of symbolic expression in a moment of environmental and cultural change.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
https://elpais.com/ciencia/2020-05-21/el-indescifrable-origen-de-la-primera-obra-de-arte.html Unas manos pintadas en una cueva de Timor Oriental aumentan el misterio sobre dónde y cuándo surgieron las primeras expresiones artísticas de... more
https://elpais.com/ciencia/2020-05-21/el-indescifrable-origen-de-la-primera-obra-de-arte.html
Unas manos pintadas en una cueva de Timor Oriental aumentan el misterio sobre dónde y cuándo surgieron las primeras expresiones artísticas de nuestra especie, cuenta el prehistoriador Marcos García-Díez
Unas manos pintadas en una cueva de Timor Oriental aumentan el misterio sobre dónde y cuándo surgieron las primeras expresiones artísticas de nuestra especie, cuenta el prehistoriador Marcos García-Díez
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Slimak et al. challenge the reliability of our oldest (>65,000 years) U-Th dates on carbonates associated with cave paintings in Spain. They cite a supposed lack of parietal art for the 25,000 years following this date, along with... more
Slimak et al. challenge the reliability of our oldest (>65,000 years) U-Th dates on carbonates associated with cave paintings in Spain. They cite a supposed lack of parietal art for the 25,000 years following this date, along with potential methodological issues relating to open-system behavior and corrections to detrital or source water 230 Th. We show that their criticisms are unfounded.