Travelrific® Travel Journal

Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!

Sistine Chapel of Paleolithic Art

By Linda Tancs

Nineteen miles west of the port city of Santander in northern Spain is the prized prehistoric Altamira cave, a World Heritage Site. Over 900 feet long, archeological remains unearthed there are from two main Paleolithic occupations—the Solutrean (about 21,000 to 17,000 years ago) and the Magdalenian (about 17,000 to 11,000 years ago). Sometimes referred to as “the Sistine Chapel of Paleolithic art,” the cave’s chambers are a treasure trove of striking black-and-red prehistoric art depicting bison and other animals. In several instances, the artist exploited the natural contours of the rock to create a three dimensional appearance in the works.

1 Comment»

  Green Spain | Travelrific® Travel Journal wrote @

[…] around 47 inches of rain per year. It’s prized for its prehistoric caves, most notably the Sistine Chapel of Paleolithic Art. The region also forms part of the Northern Way of the Way of St. James, a pilgrimage route. Cheese […]

Like


Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.