Altamira

Principal example of Upper Palaeolithic (Magdelanian/Solutrean) cave art in Cantabrian Spain, near the town of Santillana del Mar, decorated from perhaps 16,000 BP onwards. Of the animals depicted, bison and red deer are the most numerous with about 50 representations of each. (The faunal remains in the Solutrean and Magdalenian stratigraphic levels associated with the art are dominated by red deer, with bison and horse second and third). The Great Hall or Hall of Bison, a chamber c.10 by 20 m, is impressively decorated with large engraved and brightly coloured polychrome images of 16–19 bison up to 2 m long, a horse and a large red deer (hind). The bison, which may have been painted as a composition by a single artist, may represent a herd in the rutting season or being driven together by hunters; the care with which the bison are depicted may reflect the prestige of the bison as hunting prey. In a terminal chamber, Altamira presents a series of enigmatic masks and signs. There are also stencilled hands and painted hands. Together with EL CASTILLO, Altamira has produced the finest series of mobiliary art plaques in Cantabria – especially scapulae engraved with red deer.

One of the most important painted Palaeolithic caves (as is Lascaux, France) and one of the earliest discovered (1879). The site is in the Cantabrian Mountains of northeast Spain and the 280-meter long cave is famous for its polychrome animals, which include deer, bison, and wild boar painted in red, black, and a range of earth colors. Most of the art in the cave was produced by Solutrean and Magdalenian peoples, with one layer radiocarbon-dated to c 13,000 BC. The most famous panel is of 15 bison, plus deer and horses. There is also a hall with black paintings, and symbols are found in several parts of the cave. The paintings' authenticity was challenged right up to 1902 when Emile Cartailhac finally accepted that they were genuine.

One of the two most famous painted Palaeolithic caves (the other being Lascaux). Altamira is situated in the Cantabrian Mountains in Santander province, northern Spain. The 280-metre-long cave was investigated by Don Marcelino de Sautola in 1875, but the paintings were only noticed several years later and their authenticity was challenged right up to 1902 when Emile Cartailhac finally accepted that they were genuine. Archaeological deposits of the Solutrian and Magdalenian periods were found in the entrance of the cave. These included artists’ materials from a layer dated by radiocarbon to about 13,000 bc, and it seems likely that most of the art dates from this time or a few thousand years later. The most famous panel is the ceiling of the low hall near the entrance. It has some 15 bison as well as deer and horses. The style is referred to as polychrome, for several shades are present, but only two basic pigments are used, namely red iron oxide and manganese. Elsewhere there is a hall with black paintings, and symbols are found in several parts of the cave. Some are simple meanders, others are complex box-shapes.