The cave of Atxurra: A new major Magdalenian rock art sanctuary in Northern Spain

Gárate, Diego; Rivero, Olivia; Rios‐Garaizar, Joseba; Arriolabengoa, Martín; Medina‐Alcaide, Ma Ángeles; Ruìz, Juan F.; Intxaurbe, Iñaki; Salazar, Sergio; Líbano, Iñaki

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2019.102120

Cited by 14 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…This allows specific activities to be carried out in the illuminated area. The combustion residues left by our experimental fireplace were similar to those found in some decorated caves, such as those found in Sector J (or the Ledge of the Horses) in Atxurra Cave [ 67 ], where there were three main concentrations of charcoals and ash on a thin layer of rubified clay. Our small experimental fireplace produced illumination similar to that of the experimental torches since we used a similar amount of woody fuel in both types of experiments (912 g).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

“…In any case, illuminating capacity is correlated with the amount (and type) of fuel used, and the required use will condition the latter. For example, lighting a specific panel while decorating (or displaying) it, as in Atxurra [ 67 ], or other activities in deep zones [ 63 ], does not require large amounts of fuel. Our experimental fireplace showed that 500 g of juniper branches 1–2 cm in diameter and 400 g of dry oak branches 2–2.5 cm in diameter were sufficient for at least 30 minutes of activity ( S4 Appendix , experiment 8 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this sense, we employed GIS software (ArcScene™ by ArcGis ® ) to recreate and evaluate the potential of quantitative results obtained from the experimental analysis. For this, we have worked directly with the 3D model of Sector J of Atxurra Cave [ 67 ] through a technique using Lines-of-Sight (LOS) analyses for complex three-dimensional sites [ 72 ]. This has allowed us to reach the first conclusions about Paleolithic illumination in a cave with rock art and illustrate the different ranges of the different lighting systems examined.…”

Section: Methodology: Testing Lighting Systems In Paleolithic Cavesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These two types of wood have also been identified together in deep sectors of caves associated with fireplaces. In particular, we replicated the composition of those hearths found in Sector J of Atxurra Cave (Basque Country, Spain), where three fireplaces were laid out on the ground under a large composition of engraved and painted animals with Magdalenian chronology beneath a cornice [ 67 ].…”

Section: Materials: Experimental Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The conquest of the dark spaces: An experimental approach to lighting systems in Paleolithic caves

et al. 2021

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Artificial lighting was a crucial physical resource for expanding complex social and economic behavior in Paleolithic groups. Furthermore, the control of fire allowed the development of the first symbolic behavior in deep caves, around 176 ky BP. These activities would increase during the Upper Paleolithic, when lighting residues proliferated at these sites. The physical peculiarities of Paleolithic lighting resources are very poorly understood, although this is a key aspect for the study of human activity within caves and other dark contexts. In this work, we characterize the main Paleolithic lighting systems (e.g., wooden torches, portable fat lamps, and fireplaces) through empirical observations and experimental archeology in an endokarstic context. Furthermore, each lighting system’s characteristic combustion residues were identified to achieve a better identification for the archaeological record. The experiments are based on an exhaustive review of archaeological information about this topic. Besides, we apply the estimated luminous data of a Paleolithic cave with Paleolithic art (Atxurra in northern Spain) in 3D through GIS technology to delve into the archeologic implications of illumination in Paleolithic underground activities.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodology: Testing Lighting Systems In Paleolithic Cavesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Materials: Experimental Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The conquest of the dark spaces: An experimental approach to lighting systems in Paleolithic caves

et al. 2021

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“…Actualmente el yacimiento está siendo revisado para evaluar y comprender su sequencia a partir de la excavación del testigo estratigráfico dejado por J.M. Barandiarán Ayerbe 2016a). Paralelamente, se ha descubierto un importante conjunto de grabados y pinturas paleolíticas en las zonas profundas de la cavidad (Garate et al 2016b) y se ha abordado la excavación arqueológica de la cueva de Armiña, situada en el nivel inferior del sistema kárstico de Atxurra (Garate et al 2017;).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

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

Rios‐Garaizar¹

2019

Munibe, Antropol.-Arkeol.

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Las condiciones de la excavación, la tardía publicación de los resultados y los avatares sufridos por los materiales arqueológicos recuperados han condicionado el análisis y la interpretación del yacimiento y de su secuencia estratigráfica. Recientemente el yacimiento ha sido objeto de una revisión arqueológica que ha propiciado una nueva lectura de la secuencia. A la luz de estas nuevas informaciones proponemos una revisión integral de la excavación de la década de 1930. Se discute, a partir del estudio de la industria lítica, ósea, cerámica y de los restos de macrofauna la pertinencia de la división estratigráfica propuesta por I. Barandiarán Maestu en los años 1960. Como resultado se propone la existencia

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

Intxaurbe

Gárate

Arriolabengoa

et al. 2022

J Archaeol Method Theory

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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, Santimamiñe 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.

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The cave of Atxurra: A new major Magdalenian rock art sanctuary in Northern Spain

Cited by 14 publications

References 8 publications

The conquest of the dark spaces: An experimental approach to lighting systems in Paleolithic caves

The conquest of the dark spaces: An experimental approach to lighting systems in Paleolithic caves

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

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

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