Hundreds of stunning ice age drawings discovered inside Spanish cave
Scientific American · Jackie Flynn Mogensen ·
The find includes 280 engravings, including 55 depictions of animals
For decades, Cova de la Font Major has been a tourist destination in northeastern Spain. Despite all the visitors who have passed through the cave, only now are archaeologists revealing its secret: hundreds of stunning ice age rock engravings, including a rare depiction of a bear.
In a new study published in the journal Antiquity this week, researchers describe the discovery of 280 Paleolithic engravings at the large, underground cave in Espluga de Francolí, Spain. The cave was first excavated in 1957—since then thousands of people have likely been in it, and some even graffitied the walls without realizing they were disturbing ice age art, the researchers say.
The find is among the largest collections of cave art on the Iberian Peninsula. The engravings include 55 animal figures such as horses, deer and at least one bear, as well as less recognizable forms, such as parallel lines and an unusual group of loops.
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