La secuencia prehistórica de la cueva de Atxurra (Berriatua, Bizkaia): evaluación de las excavaciones de J.M. Barandiarán Ayerbe (1934-1935)

Rios‐Garaizar, Joseba

doi:10.21630/maa.2019.70.15

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…The initial archaeological premise on which our Bayesian analysis is based on was that several phases of human occupation occurred during Prehistoric times in the interior of the cave. This hypothesis is supported by empirical observations of an archaeological and micro-sedimentological nature: a) On the outside of the cave there is an extensive archaeological sequence with various occupation levels 34 ; b) On the “Ledge of the Horses”, at least two differentiated occupation levels have been observed on the floor of the ledge through the micro-sedimentological study.…”

Section: Results: Reconstructing the Artistic Process In Atxurra Cavementioning

confidence: 58%

“…Blades are regular, four of them wide, (between 19 and 28 mm). These wide blades are characteristic productions of the regional late Magdalenian and have been identified in the cave entrance occupation of Atxurra, in Armiña and in Abittaga 32 , 34 , 51 . These blades have been obtained through direct percussion with a soft hammer after careful preparation of the flaking surface and the cornice.…”

Section: Results: Reconstructing the Artistic Process In Atxurra Cavementioning

confidence: 92%

“…All of them are made on flint except for a Dufour bladelet made on lyddite. Among flint types, we have identified artifacts made on Flysch flint (N = 12), the most used flint type in the region 32 , 34 , 51 , north Pyrenean flint (N = 3), probably from Chalosse and the Pettit Pyrenees, translucent flint probably from Loza or Monte Picota (N = 1) and non-identifiable flint (N = 5). Among the materials there are five blades, two bladelets, one burin spall, one chunk and 13 chips (< 10 mm).…”

Section: Results: Reconstructing the Artistic Process In Atxurra Cavementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The natural gate used by prehistoric societies to access the cave system was the upper entrance of Atxurra 32 , 33 . It is currently 35 m above the stream, and it opens to a small vestibule where Gravettian, Magdalenian and Bronze occupation sequence have been identified 31 , 34 . There are two points of union between both levels, one of them a few meters from the upper-level occupation site and another at the end of the lower-level gallery of Armiña, under the point where the decorated sector begins.…”

Section: Context: Atxurra Cave (Northern Spain)mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unravelling the skills and motivations of Magdalenian artists in the depths of Atxurra Cave (Northern Spain)

Garate,

Rivero,

Rios-Garaizar

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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Atxurra cave has a decorated assemblage composed of more than a hundred engraved animal depictions. All of them are located in deep parts of the cave and most of them are hidden in raised areas, away from the main path. The main sector is the “Ledge of the Horses”, located at 330 m from the entrance of the cave. It is a space of 12 m long and 1.5 m wide, elevated 4 m above the cave floor. This area includes almost fifty engraved and painted animals accompanied by a dozen flint tools, three fireplaces, and around one hundred charcoal fragments from torches. This extraordinary archaeological record allows us to value the complexity of the artistic production inside the caves during the Upper Palaeolithic. Our study has confirmed that there is planning prior to artistic production, both in terms of the iconographic aspects (themes, techniques, formats), its location (visibility, capacity), and the lighting systems. Furthermore, the data indicates the panel was decorated to be seen by third parties from different positions and was expressly illuminated for this purpose. This evidence supports the role of rock art as a visual communication system in Upper Palaeolithic societies.

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Section: Results: Reconstructing the Artistic Process In Atxurra Cavementioning

confidence: 58%

Section: Results: Reconstructing the Artistic Process In Atxurra Cavementioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Results: Reconstructing the Artistic Process In Atxurra Cavementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Context: Atxurra Cave (Northern Spain)mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Unravelling the skills and motivations of Magdalenian artists in the depths of Atxurra Cave (Northern Spain)

Garate,

Rivero,

Rios-Garaizar

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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“…The reindeer is known to have been present in the Iberian Peninsula from 56 sites, almost exclusively in the Cantabrian fringe and northeastern Catalonia Rios-Garaizar et al 2019), with a chronological distribution spanning 200 ka in Mollet (Girona) to the most recent dating from Santa Catalina (Lekeitio) between 14.4 and 10.3 cal. ka BP (Berganza Gochi & Arribas Pastor 2014; but see Costamagno et al 2016).…”

Section: Cold-adapted Faunas In the Iberian Peninsulamentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological conditions during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition (MIS 3) in Iberia: the cold‐adapted faunal remains from Mainea, northern Iberian Peninsula

Rodríguez-Almagro

Sala

Wiβing

et al. 2020

Boreas

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Cold-adapted faunal populations shifted southwards during the coldest episodes of the Middle and Late Pleistocene, reaching the Iberian Peninsula. In this context, some of these species, such as Coelodonta antiquitatis and Mammuthus primigenius extended throughout the territory, leaving evidence in, at least, 35 and 29 sites, respectively; however, in most cases, the evidence is scarce. Here we present the fossil assemblage from Mainea cave (Uitzi, Navarre, northern Iberian Peninsula), one of the sites yielding cold-adapted faunal remains closer to the Pyrenees. The cave possibly acted as a natural trap due to its external geomorphology (a sinkhole) and the absence of aerial exposure, anthropogenic marks or evidence compatible with this site being a hyena den. This site has yielded the most evidence of Coelodonta antiquitatis remains (NISP = 190) and one of the most abundant in terms of number of individuals (five, each with different ages at death) for the Iberian Peninsula, five remains attributed to a single Mammuthus primigenius and a single Cervus elaphus remain. The direct dating of a woolly rhinoceros tooth (46 354-44 428 2r cal. a BP) places Mainea within MIS 3, between the H4 and H5 Heinrich Events, during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition, within a context of changes in human behaviour and human species replacement in Europe. We have performed the first collagen isotopic analysis for a woolly rhinoceros from the Iberian Peninsula. The d 13 C and d 15 N values of the Coelodonta antiquitatis remains are similar to other European sites, thus suggesting the presence of Mammoth steppe environments at relatively high altitudes, which would compensate for the southern latitude. This would be consistent with the presence of open environments in lower altitudes. This site expands our understanding of the ecology of coldadapted faunas at their furthest southern range limit during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition.

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Scientific virtual reality as a research tool in prehistoric archaeology: the case of Atxurra Cave (northern Spain)

Torres,

Medina-Alcaide,

Intxaurbe

et al. 2024

Virtual Archaeol. Rev.

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Highlights: This study proposes the practical utility of an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experience for the dissemination and study of Palaeolithic Rock Art. Thanks to a series of multidisciplinary studies, a virtual reconstruction of the archaeological context of an area with rock art has been achieved. The Palaeolithic lighting systems documented in Atxurra cave have been virtually recreated, allowing real-time interaction through VR. Abstract: The Upper Palaeolithic period (ca. 45000 - 12000 BP) was the time when figurative art chiefly produced by Homo sapiens emerged and developed. The Upper Palaeolithic rock art entails a multisensory experience that goes beyond depicted images observation: it includes aspects related to the cognitive development of human mind, the spatial dimensions, the type of rock surface, artificial lighting, and challenges of navigating the underground environment. Traditionally, the study of Palaeolithic art in caves has focused on paintings and illustrated subjects' graphic analysis. However, a recent shift in methodological focus has favoured a comprehensive and interdisciplinary study of rock art. This new perspective has allowed the investigation of surrounding elements that significantly influence the art and its interpretation. Combining this with new digital technologies, it is now possible to reconstruct Palaeolithic artistic creation and contemplation environments with precision, offering researchers an immersive and interactive experience through virtual reality (VR). The two documented Palaeolithic lighting systems in the sector J “Ledge of the Horses” have been virtually recreated. The lighting simulation parameters are based on those obtained from an anthracological study of the charcoal remains found in the cave and the subsequent experimental program. The study included analysing both three-dimensional (3D) models of the cave, obtained through photogrammetry and laser scanning, and the lighting systems in the graphics engine ©Unreal Engine 5; this allowed the researchers to create an interactive VR environment that faithfully reflects the current state of scientific knowledge about the cavity. Using VR is a substantial methodological advancement, regarding both knowledge transmission and the creation of more robust and coherent archaeological interpretations through sensory perception and historical empathy. This approach has been applied to the main decorated sector of the Atxurra Cave (Basque Country, Spain), a space containing dozens of engraved and painted representations, and surface archaeological material, subjected to a comprehensive multidisciplinary study.

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La secuencia prehistórica de la cueva de Atxurra (Berriatua, Bizkaia): evaluación de las excavaciones de J.M. Barandiarán Ayerbe (1934-1935)

Cited by 3 publications

References 3 publications

Unravelling the skills and motivations of Magdalenian artists in the depths of Atxurra Cave (Northern Spain)

Unravelling the skills and motivations of Magdalenian artists in the depths of Atxurra Cave (Northern Spain)

Ecological conditions during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition (MIS 3) in Iberia: the cold‐adapted faunal remains from Mainea, northern Iberian Peninsula

Scientific virtual reality as a research tool in prehistoric archaeology: the case of Atxurra Cave (northern Spain)

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