NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Altamira (cave)

Altamira (Spanish for 'high view') is a cave in Spain famous for its Upper Paleolithic cave paintings featuring drawings and polychrome rock paintings of wild mammals and human hands. It is located at 43°22′57″N, 4°06′58″W, near the town of Santillana del Mar in Cantabria, Spain, 30 km west of the city of Santander. The cave with its paintings has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Image File history File links Altamira_Bison. ... Image File history File links Altamira_Bison. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1660x672, 32 KB)Altamira cave paintings. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1660x672, 32 KB)Altamira cave paintings. ... Inside Cave of the Mounds. ... The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. ... Cave or rock paintings are paintings painted on cave or rock walls and ceilings, usually dating to prehistoric times. ... Santillana del Mar is a historic town situated in Cantabria, Spain. ... Capital Santander Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 15th 5 321 kmÂ² 1. ... For alternate uses, see Santander. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... UNESCO logo UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ...

Description

The cave is 270 meters long, and consists of a series of twisting passages and chambers. The main passage varies from two to six meters high. The cave was formed through collapses following early karstic phenomena in the calcerous rock of Mount Vispieres. Karst topography occurs when a landscape is marked by underground drainage patterns. ...

Archeological excavations in the cave floor found rich deposits of Upper Solutrean (c. 18,500 years ago) and Lower Magdalenean (between c. 16,500 and 14,000 years ago) artifacts. The cave was occupied only by wild animals in the long period between these two occupations. The site was well positioned to take advantage of the rich wildlife that grazed in the valleys of the surrounding mountains as well as permitting the occupants to supplement their diet with food from nearby coastal areas. Around 13,000 years ago a rockfall sealed the cave's entrance preserving its contents until its eventual discovery which was caused by blasting from nearby quarrying disturbing the fallen rocks. Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... The Solutrean industry was an advanced flint tool making style of the Upper Palaeolithic. ... The Magdalenian, also spelt Magdalénien, refers to one of the later culture of the Upper Palaeolithic in western Europe. ...

Human occupation was limited to the cave mouth although paintings were created throughout the length of the cave. The artists used charcoal and ochre or haematite to create the images, often scratching or diluting these dyes to produce variances in intensity and creating an impression of chiaroscuro. They also exploited the natural contours in the cave walls to give a three-dimensional effect to their subjects. The Polychrome Ceiling is the most impressive feature showing a herd of bison in different poses, two horses, a large hind and a possible wild boar. Charcoal is the blackish residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. ... This article is about the color. ... Hematite (AE) or haematite (BE) is the mineral form of Iron (III) oxide, (Fe2O3), one of several iron oxides. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Tenebrism. ... The word Hind can refer to: A female deer, usually the red deer. ... Binomial name Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 The Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) is the wild ancestor of the domesticated pig. ...

This art is dated to the Magdelenean occupation and as well as animal subjects also included abstract shapes. Solutrean images include images of horses, goats and handprints created from the artist placing his hand on the cave wall in spraying paint over it leaving a negative image of his palm. Numerous other caves in northern Spain contain Palaeolithic art but none is as advanced or well-populated as Altamira. Species See Species and subspecies The goat is a mammal in the genus Capra, which consists of nine species: the Ibex, the West Caucasian Tur, the East Caucasian Tur, the Markhor, and the Wild Goat. ...

Discovery, excavation, scepticisms

In 1879, amateur archaeologist Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola was led by his eight-year-old daughter to discover the cave's drawings. The cave was excavated by Sautuola and archaelogist Juan Vilanova y Piera from the University of Madrid, resulting in a much acclaimed publication in 1880 which interpretated the paintings as paleolithic in origin. The French specialists, led by Gabriel de Mortillet and Emile Cartailhac, were particularly adamant in rejecting the hypothesis of Sautuola and Piera, and their findings were loudly ridiculed at the 1880 Prehistorical Congress in Lisbon. Due to the supreme artistic quality, and the exceptional state of conservation of the paintings, Sautuola was even accused of forgery. A fellow countryman maintained that the paintings had been produced by a contemporary artist, on Sautuola's orders. 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Don Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola (1831-1888): Spanish jurist and amateur archaeologist, who owned the land where the Altamira cave was found. ... 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Louis Laurent Gabriel de Mortillet (August 29, 1821 - September 25, 1898), French anthropologist, was born at Meylau, IsÃ¨re. ... Ã‰mile Cartailhac (15 February 1845 - 26 November 1921) was a French prehistorian. ... Location - Country Portugal - Region Lisbon - Subregion Grande Lisboa - District or A.R. Lisbon Mayor Carmona Rodrigues - Party PSD Area 84. ...

It was not until 1902, when several other findings of prehistoric paintings had served to render the hypothesis of the extreme antiquity of the Altamira-paintings less offensive, that the scientific society retracted their opposition to the Spaniards. That year, Emile Cartailhac emphatically admitted his mistake in the famous article, "Mea culpa d'une sceptique", published in the journal L'Anthropologie. 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Sautuola, having died 14 years earlier, did not live to enjoy the restitution of his honour.

Further excavation work on the cave was done by Hermilio Alcalde del Río in 1902-04, the German Hugo Obermaier in 1924-25 and finally by Joaquín González Echegaray in 1981. 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Visitors and replicas

During the 1960s and 1970s, the paintings were being damaged by the damp breath of large numbers of visitors. Altamira was completely closed to the public in 1977, and reopened to limited access in 1982. Very few visitors are allowed in per day, resulting in a three-year waiting list. A replica cave and museum were built nearby and completed in 2001 by Manuel Franquelo and Sven Nebel, reproducing the cave and its art. The replica allows a more comfortable view of the polychrome paintings of the main hall of the cave, as well as a selection of minor works. It also includes some sculptures of human faces that are not visitable in the real cave.^[1] For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Manuel Franquelo (born c. ...

There are other replicas in the National Archaeological Museum of Spain (Madrid), in the Deutsche Museum in Munich (completed 1964), and in Japan (completed 1993). The National Archaeological Museum (Spanish: Museo ArqueolÃ³gico Nacional) of Spain is in Madrid, beside the Plaza de ColÃ³n (Columbus Square), sharing its building with the National Library. ... This article is about the Spanish capital. ... Deutsches Museum The Deutsches Museum is one of the worlds largest museums of technology and science. ... Munich: Frauenkirche and Town Hall steeple Munich (German: MÃ¼nchen, (pronounced listen) is the capital of the German Federal State of Bavaria (German: Freistaat Bayern). ...

Cultural impact

Several painters were influenced by the Altamira cave paintings. After a visit, Picasso famously exclaimed "after Altamira, all is decadence". A young Pablo Picasso Pablo Picasso, formally Pablo Ruiz Picasso, (October 25, 1881 - April 8, 1973) was one of the recognized masters of 20th century art. ...

Some of the polychrome paintings at Altamira Cave are well known in Spanish popular culture. The logo used by the autonomous government of Cantabria to promote tourism to the region is based on one of the bisons in this cave. Bisonte (Spanish for 'Bison'), a Spanish brand of cigarettes of the 20th century, also used a Paleolithic style bison figure along with its logo. A lit cigarette will burn to ash on one end. ...

The Spanish comic character and series Altamiro de la Cueva, created in 1965, are a clear consequence of the fame of Altamira Cave. The comic series depicts the adventures of a group of prehistoric cavemen, shown as modern people, but dressed in pieces of fur, a bit like the Flintstones. See comedian Stand up comedian List of Comedians List of British comedians comics comic book comic strip underground comics alternative comics web comic sprite comics manga graphic novel List of comic characters This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the... Altamiro de la Cueva is a Spanish fictional character and a comic series created in 1965 by Joan Bernet Toledano and Carles Bech for a Spanish comic magazine, TBO. These stories feature funny adventures of a bunch of prehistoric cavemen. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... The Flintstones, an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, is one of the most successful animated television series of all time. ...

The rock band Steely Dan wrote the song "The Caves of Altamira" for their 1976 album, The Royal Scam. Steely Dan is an American rock band centered around the core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. ... The Caves of Altamira is a song from Steely Dans The Royal Scam. ... Originally released in May 1976, The Royal Scam was an album by rock group Steely Dan. ...

See also

Lascaux Lascaux is a complex of caves in southwestern France famous for its cave paintings. ... Cave or rock paintings are paintings painted on cave or rock walls and ceilings, usually dating to prehistoric times. ...

Reference

The New York Times is a newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. ...

Bibliography

External links

World Heritage Sites in Spain

Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada | Altamira Cave | Aranjuez Cultural Landscape | Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida | Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco | Archaeological Site of Atapuerca | Ávila with its extra-mural Churches | Burgos Cathedral | Cáceres | Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí | Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias, Seville | Cordoba | Cuenca | Doñana | Garajonay | Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture | Las Médulas | El Escorial | Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon | Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias | Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona | Palmeral of Elche | Poblet Monastery | Pyrénées - Mont Perdu (w/ France) | Renaissance Monuments of Úbeda and Baeza | Rock-Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula | Roman Walls of Lugo | Route of Santiago de Compostela | Salamanca | San Cristóbal de La Laguna | San Millán Yuso and Suso Monasteries | Santa María de Guadalupe | Santiago de Compostela | Segovia and its Aqueduct | Silk Exchange in Valencia | Toledo | University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares | Vizcaya Bridge | Works of Antoni Gaudí Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ... View of the Alhambra from the Mirador St Nicolas in the Albaycin of Granada. ... The Generalife viewed from the Alhambra The Generalife was a villa with gardens used by the Muslim kings of Granada as a place of retreat. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The Palacio Real de Aranjuez at night The Palacio Real de Aranjuez is a residence of the King of Spain, one of the Spanish royal sites. ... Roman Theater MÃ©rida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. ... For the municipality in the Philippines, see Tarragona, Davao Oriental. ... Atapuerca, also known as Sierra de Atapuerca or Sierra Atapuerca, is an ancient karst topography region of Spain, containing several caves such as the Gran Dolina site, where fossils and stone tools of the one of the earliest known hominids in Europe have been found, dating to between 780,000... Complete name of this city: Ãvila de los Caballeros Ãvila is a town in the south of Old Castile, the capital of the province of the same name, now part of the autonomous community of Castile and LeÃ³n, Spain. ... Burgos Cathedral The Burgos Cathedral is a Gothic cathedral. ... The location of CÃ¡ceres in Extremadura, Spain CÃ¡ceres is the capital of CÃ¡ceres Province, in Extremadura, Spain. ... Fresco of Christ Pantocrator from Sant Climent de TaÃ¼ll, acknowledged as one of the masterpieces of Romanesque art. ... Cathedral from the Patio of Oranges Interior of the Cathedral FaÃ§ade of the Cathedral The Cathedral of Seville, formally Catedral de Santa MarÃa de la Sede (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See) was begun in 1402, with construction continuing into the 16th century. ... King Pedros Palace in the AlcÃ¡zar from the Patio de la Monteria The AlcÃ¡zar of Seville (Spanish Reales AlcÃ¡zares de Sevilla or Royal AlcÃ¡zars of Seville) is a royal palace in Seville, Spain. ... The Archivo de Indias, Seville The Archivo General de Indias (General Archive of the Indies) is the document repository, housed in Seville in the ancient merchants exchange, the Casa Lonja de Mercederes, of extremely valuable archival documents illustrating the history of the Spanish empire in the Americas and the Philippines. ... Location Coordinates : 37Â° 53â€™N , 4Â°46â€²0â€³W Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name CÃ³rdoba (Spanish) Spanish name CÃ³rdoba Founded 8th century BC Postal code 140xx Website http://www. ... Location of Cuenca in Spain Looking through an arch in old Cuenca Cuenca is a city (2004 pop. ... DoÃ±ana National Park (Parque Nacional de DoÃ±ana), also called Coto de DoÃ±ana, is a national park and wildlife refuge in southwestern Spain. ... Garajonay National Park (Parque nacional de Garajonay) is located in the center and north of the island of La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands. ... Flag of Eivissa (Ibiza) Eivissa or Ibiza is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea (), belonging to Spain. ... Las MÃ©dulas were the most important Gold Mines in the Roman Empire. ... The huge monastery in distant view San Lorenzo de El Escorial redirects here. ... A court of la AljaferÃa. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Pre-romanesque art in Asturias is framed between the years 718 and 910, the period of the rise, extension and disappearance of the kingdom of Asturias. ... The Palau de la MÃºsica Catalana (Palace of Catalan Music) in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, is a concert hall built between 1905 and 1908, designed by the Catalan architect LluÃs DomÃ¨nech i Montaner. ... Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Catalan for Hospital of the Holy Cross and Saint Paul) in Barcelona, Catalonia, is a complex built between 1901 and 1930, designed by the Catalan architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. ... Panoramic view of Elx, showing the. ... Monestir de Santa Maria de Poblet The Monestery of Santa Maria de Poblet is a Cistercian monastery, founded in 1151, located in the comarca of Conca de BarberÃ , in Catalonia (Spain). ... Central Pyrenees. ... Monte Perdido (Mont Perdu in French, both meaning lost mountain) is the third highest mountain in the Pyrenees. ... El Salvador Chapel and Dean Ortegas Palace Ãšbeda (IPA: ) is a city in the province of JaÃ©n in Spains autonomous community of Andalusia. ... Santa MarÃa fountain and cathedral of Baeza Baeza (anc. ... Lugo is a city in northwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Lugo in the autonomous community of Galicia in Spain. ... Scallop, St. ... Salamanca: Plaza Mayor Towers of the Old and New Cathedrals Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Salamanca Salamanca (population 160,000) is a city in western Spain, the capital of the province of Salamanca, which belongs to the autonomous community(region) of Castile-Leon(Castilla y LeÃ³n). ... San CristÃ³bal de La Laguna (La Laguna for short, Spanish for The Lagoon) is a municipality of the northern part of the island of Tenerife in the Santa Cruz de Tenerife province, on the Canary Islands. ... San MillÃ¡n de la Cogolla, La Rioja This beautiful part of La Rioja is a sparsely populated municipality. ... The Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe (Spanish: Real Monasterio de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe) is a monastic establishment in CÃ¡ceres province of the Extremadura autonomous community of Spain, which used to be the most important monastery in the country for more than four centuries. ... Location map of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia Santiago de Compostela (also Saint James of Compostela) is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia. ... Comarca Capital and Metropolitan Area Province Segovia Autonomous community Castilla y LeÃ³n Postal code 40001-40006 Coordinate systems - Latitude: - Longitude 40Â°57 N 4Â°10 0 Surface 1636 kmÂ² Altitude 1002 m Distance 87 km from Madrid 111 km from Valladolid Population - Total (2004) - Density 55. ... Aqueduct of Segovia The Aqueduct of Segovia (or more precisely, the aqueduct bridge) is one of the most significant and best-preserved monuments left by the Romans on the Iberian Peninsula. ... La Lonja de la Seda. ... [[ Image:Toledo, Spain Toledo is a city and municipality located in central Spain, about 70 kilometers south of Madrid. ... AlcalÃ¡ de Henares is a Spanish city. ... Portugalete Transporter Bridge, commonly called Puente Colgante A large ship crossing under the bridge The Puente Colgante has the official name of Bizkaiko Zubia - Puente de Vizcaya (Bridge of Biscay) and it is a transporter bridge that links the towns of Portugalete and Getxo in the Biscay province of Spain... Antoni GaudÃ i Cornet, in Spanish also known as Antonio GaudÃ (25 June 1852 â€“ 10 June 1926), was a Spanish Catalan architect of the Modernisme (Art Nouveau) movement famous for his unique style and highly individualistic designs. ...

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