Non-Figurative Cave Art in Northern Spain
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE CAVES OF CANTABRIA: NON-FIGURATIVE CAVE ART IN NORTHERN SPAIN by Dustin Riley A thesis submitted To the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfllment of the requirments for the degree of Master of Arts, Department of Archaeology Memorial University of Newfoundland January, 2017 St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador Abstract This project focuses on non-figurative cave art in Cantabrian (Spain) from the Upper Palaeolithic (ca. 40,000-10,000). With more than 30 decorated caves in the region, it is one of the world’s richest areas in Palaeolithic artwork. My project explores the social and cultural dimensions associated with non-figurative cave images. Non-figurative artwork accounts for any image that does not represent real world objects. My primary objectives are: (1) To produce the first detailed account of non-figurative cave art in Cantabria; (2) To examine the relationships between figurative and non-figurative images; and (3) To analyse the many cultural and symbolic meanings associated to non- figurative images. To do so, I construct a database documenting the various features of non-figurative imagery in Cantabria. The third objective will be accomplished by examining the cultural and social values of non-figurative art through the lens of cognitive archaeology. ii Acknowledgements I would like to thank and express my gratitude to the members of the Department of Archaeology at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador for giving me the opportunity to conduct research and achieve an advanced degree. In particular I would like to express my upmost appreciation to Dr. Oscar Moro Abadía, whose guidance, critiques, and continued support and confidence in me aided my development as a student and as a person. Without him this project, and my many other achievements and experiences, could not be possible. Additionally I would like to thank Bryn Tapper for introducing me to the software and procedures that brought about the various maps found in the document. I would also like to thank the members of the Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistorias (Universidad de Cantabria, Spain) for supporting my research and allowing me access to various cave sites, cultural materials, and research facilities. Moreover, I would like Professor Manuel R. González Morales and Dr. Lawrence Strauss for arranging my accommodations abroad, introducing me to Spanish culture and customs, showing me various cave sites and the means to visit them, and allowing me to volunteer in the laboratory analysis of cultural materials from the El Miron cave site. iii Table of contents Abstarct ........................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents .............................................................................................................................. v List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. ix List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................ x Chapter 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Presentation, objectives, and structure .......................................................................... 1 1.2. Paleolithic art research: methodological and conceptual background .......................... 6 1.2.1. ‘Mobiliary art’ and ‘Parietal art’ ................................................................................ 8 1.2.2. Figurative art versus non-figurative art ................................................................... 12 1.3. Representational techniques ........................................................................................ 16 1.4. The spatial context: The Cantabrian Region .............................................................. 24 1.5. The Temporal Context: The Upper Paleolithic .......................................................... 26 1.6 The Environmental Context ........................................................................................ 33 Chapter 2: The History of Research ............................................................................................... 38 2.1. The discovery of Paleolithic Art: Rejection and Acceptance ..................................... 38 2.2. The Influence of Art History ....................................................................................... 41 2.3. The degradation theory and the interpretation of non-figurative art ........................... 45 2.4 The foundations of the modern interpretations of Paleolithic non-figurative images: 1900-1960 .................................................................................................................... 49 2.5. New developments in the understanding of Paleolithic non-figurative representations: The 1960s and 1970s ........................................................................ 57 iv 2.6. Recent developments in the study of prehistoric non-figurative images .................... 61 2.7. Revolution in action .................................................................................................... 68 Chapter 3: The Database ................................................................................................................. 70 3.1. The database: general considerations .......................................................................... 70 3.2. Cantabrian caves with non-figurative images ............................................................. 77 Chapter 4: The Theoretical Framework: Cognitive Archaeology ................................................. 129 4.1. The theoretical approach: cognitive archaeology ..................................................... 129 4.2 The cognitive approach and the interpretation of non-figurative images ....... 137 4.3 Cognitive archaeology in action: the problem of inference .............................. 140 4.4 Problems with interpretation ................................................................................. 144 Chapter 5: Discussion ................................................................................................................... 149 5.1 Inferring cognitive processes ................................................................................ 151 Chapter 6: Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 199 6.1. The relationships between figurative and non-figurative images ................... 200 6.2. Further Research .................................................................................................... 203 References Cited ........................................................................................................................... 208 Appendix A: Cave Reports ........................................................................................................... 284 v List of Figures Figure 1. Percentage of non-figurative motif techniques in Cantabria ........................................... 24 Figure 2. Distribution of caves containing non-figurative motifs in Cantabria .............................. 26 Figure 3. Percentage of motifs in Altamira ..................................................................................... 78 Figure 4. Motif colour at Altamira .................................................................................................. 79 Figure 5. Cave location of motifs at Altamira................................................................................. 80 Figure 6. Motif type at Chufīn ........................................................................................................ 81 Figure 7. Motif Application at in Chufín ........................................................................................ 81 Figure 8. Application technique at Chufín ...................................................................................... 82 Figure 9. Cave location of motifs at Chufín .................................................................................... 83 Figure 10. Motif types at Covalanas ............................................................................................... 86 Figure 11. Motif techniques in Covalanas ...................................................................................... 86 Figure 12. Motif types in El Arco ................................................................................................... 89 Figure 13. Motif application at El Arco .......................................................................................... 90 Figure 14. Motif types at El Calero-II ............................................................................................. 91 Figure 15. Application technique at El Calero-II ............................................................................ 92 Figure 16. Colour of motifs at El Calero-II..................................................................................... 92 Figure 17. Cave location of motifs at El Calero-II.......................................................................... 93 Figure 18.