Talk about an amazing find! A recent research article published in September revealed how a group of archaeologists stumbled upon a rare find of over 110 cave paintings located in Cova Dones, Valencia, Spain. Despite the area being known to locals for hundreds of years, the prehistoric artwork within the cave system went unnoticed for over 24,000 years until now.
More than 100 ancient paintings and engravings, thought to be at least 24,000 years old, have been found in a 500 meter-long cave in "Cova Dones" or "Cueva Dones", Millares near Valencia in Spain.
The cave site is well-known by locals but the existence of paleolithic paintings… pic.twitter.com/IyvsNkIpkc
— Ticia Verveer (@ticiaverveer) September 11, 2023
An analysis of the cave paintings uncovered at Cova Dones was completed and published in Antiquity journal.
These findings were rather remarkable as they consisted of individual pieces of art which included seven horses, female red deer (hinds), an aurochs, a stag and two other animals that have yet to be identified (and may have gone extinct by now).
In addition to these animal figures there were also “conventional signs” like rectangles and doodles found throughout the 500m deep cave system.
The researchers were particularly surprised with some unusual techniques used such as scraping mondmilch (a type limestone precipitate) on the surface of walls as this is very rare among Palaeolithic artworks and unknown in eastern Iberia prior to this finding.
It is difficult to determine exactly what these cave paintings mean or how they will impact our understanding about prehistoric cultures without further analysis.
However many believe that it could provide insight into their spiritual beliefs and practices during that time period.
It could also offer clues into why certain animals went extinct or clues about ancient migration patterns due to images being depicted across multiple sites in different regions around Europe.
This discovery serves as an example for future archaeological explorations into similar historical sites where figurative artworks may still remain undiscovered or forgotten due to age or obscurity. It also provides an opportunity to examine what life must have been like when these ancient humans created their works so long ago.
