Antiquity· 2026Q1
Filling gaps: the Palaeolithic rock art of the Cova de la Font Major on the north-east Iberian Peninsula
- 1citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
A 2019 discovery of 280 engraved motifs, including 55 zoomorphic figures, in Cova de la Font Major on the Iberian Peninsula's north-east coast is one of the largest Palaeolithic cave art ensembles found, challenging previous notions of a scarcity of art in the region.
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Key points
- 280 engraved motifs discovered in Cova de la Font Major in 2019.
- The assemblage includes 55 zoomorphic figures and non-figurative representations.
- This discovery is one of the largest Palaeolithic cave art ensembles in the Iberian Mediterranean.
- Many engravings are attributed to pre-Magdalenian phases.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Until recently, Palaeolithic parietal art was scarce in the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula. An assemblage of engravings found within Cova de la Font Major in 2019, and described here, now calls this apparent artistic lacuna into question. Comprising 280 motifs, encompassing 55 zoomorphic figures and a range of non-figurative representations, the Font Major assemblage is positioned as one of the largest Palaeolithic cave art ensembles in the Iberian Mediterranean. Its recent discovery calls for a reconsideration of regional preconceptions, while the attribution of numerous representations to pre-Magdalenian phases establishes the site as a key reference for studying Palaeolithic symbolic expressions.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Antiquity, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Archeology (Social Sciences)
ArcheologySocial Sciences