NEW YORK, BRONX (ORDO News) — Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery at Millares, near Valencia, Spain, a major site of Paleolithic cave art considered the most significant find on Europe‘s eastern Iberian coast. The site, known as Cova Dones or Cueva Dones, contains over a hundred ancient paintings and engravings estimated to be at least 24,000 years old.
This amazing find sheds new light on the artistic expression of our ancient ancestors and provides valuable insights into their way of life.
The Cova Dones cave has long been a popular hiking and travel destination, but the existence of Paleolithic paintings went unnoticed until a surprising discovery was made in June 2021 by researchers from the Universities of Zaragoza and Alicante, in collaboration with the University of Southampton.
The cave extends over an impressive 500 m and is decorated with many fascinating motifs that have attracted the attention of experts.
Dr Aitor Ruiz-Redondo, senior lecturer in prehistory at the University of Zaragoza and research fellow at the University of Southampton, expressed his excitement at the findings: “When we first saw the painted auroch [extinct wild bull], we immediately knew it was very important.
Although “Spain is the country with the largest number of sites of Paleolithic cave art, most of them concentrated in the north of Spain. Eastern Iberia is an area where only a few such sites have been documented so far.”
A team of researchers led by Dr. Ruiz-Redondo, Dr. Virginia Barciela-Gonzalez from the University of Alicante and Dr. Ximo Martorell-Briz from the University of Alicante carefully documented more than a hundred motifs found in Cova Dones.
The sheer number and variety of techniques used in their creation make the cave the most significant site of Paleolithic rock art on the eastern Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula since the discovery of Athurra in 2015.
The study found that there are at least 19 confirmed depictions of animals in Cova Dones, including deer, horses, aurocs and deer. A distinctive feature of this place is the predominant use of clay as a material for the production of these ancient works of art.
Dr. Ruiz-Redondo explains: “Animals and signs were depicted by simply running fingers and palms coated with clay along the walls.
The humid environment of the cave did its job: the “paintings” dried rather slowly, preventing some of the clay from quickly crumbling, while other parts were covered with a layer of calcite , who has preserved them to this day.”
The discovery of Cova Dones not only adds to the rich tapestry of Paleolithic cave art discovered in Spain, but also provides a unique perspective on the artistic expression of our ancient ancestors. Carefully documenting and studying these ancient works of art provides valuable insights into the lives and beliefs of the early people.
– Dr. Aitor Ruiz-Redondo: “As soon as we began a systematic investigation, we realized that we were looking at a major piece of cave art, similar to those found elsewhere in Cantabrian Spain, southern France or Andalusia, but which are completely absent from this territory.”
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News agencies contributed to this report, edited and published by ORDO News editors.
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