When we think of what life must have been like in prehistoric times, we don’t often leave much

space to consider the art these people may have left behind. In reality, even 30,000 years ago,
populations of people were producing what was—at the time—sophisticated works of art as a
means of expression. Nothing exemplifies this more than the cave paintings at Altamira. Located
near Santillana del Mar in Cantabria, Spain, the Altamira cave is a treasure trove of information
about life in the Paleolithic period. From rudimentary stone tools to bone carvings, there are many
artifacts that give a glimpse into daily life during the Stone Age. But, above all, this UNESCO World
Heritage Site is known for its enormous collection of cave paintings. Only discovered in the 19th
century (because the entrance was covered during a rockfall), the well-preserved paintings
revolutionized the way we think about prehistoric art. These incredible depictions of animals, hands,
and abstract symbols remain vital in demonstrating just how sophisticated certain cultures got
during the Paleolithic period.

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The caves were first discovered in 1868 by a local hunter named Modest Cubillas. He told the owner
of the cave, nobleman Marcelino Sanz de Sautola, about what he found, but Sanza de Sautola didn’t
make his way to the caves until 1876. Once there, he wasn’t impressed by what he perceived as
senseless symbols. But, after a trip to the 1878 Universal Exhibition in Paris, where he saw pieces of
caved bone similar to what he’d seen in the cave, he realized that it was something special. This led
to him partnering with Juan Vilanova y Piera, an archeologist from the University of Madrid, to start
excavations in 1879. At first, they began unearthing animal bones and small tools. It was actually
Sanza de Sautola’s 8-year-old daughter Maria, who accompanied him to the caves one day, who first
noticed paintings of bison within one of the chambers. The findings of the excavations were
published in 1880 but we were dismissed by most scholars, who took the paintings for modern
forgeries. It was only at the turn of the twentieth century, when other similar paintings were found
in the region, that they were acknowledged as the genuine artworks we know today.

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We know that the cave was inhabited for millennia during the Paleolithic age, but scientists are still
working to narrow the timeframe on exactly when the Altamira Cave paintings were created. Based
on the dating of different objects found in the caves, archeologists are certain that there were two
main cultures that used the location—the Solutrean (about 21,000 to 17,000 years ago) and the
Magdalenian (around 11,000 to 17,000 years old). These populations symbolize the apex of culture
during the Upper Paleolithic Period and were known for their toolmaking and artistry. They would be
responsible for the majority of the paintings at Altamira. Using uranium-thorium dating, researchers
in 2008 discovered that the paintings themselves were probably created over a span of 20,000 years.
A later study in 2012 confirmed that there were at least 10,000 years between different paintings in
the caves.
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The Altamira cave is 971 feet long, and while humans only inhabited the entrance chamber, there
are paintings found throughout the length of the cave. The artists had no problem going over other,
previous paintings and so the cave has become a palimpsest of art. Most of what Altamira is known
for is painted on the roof, which is astounding when one considers that the chamber where most of
the paintings are found has a variable height of 3.8 feet to 8.7 feet. This meant that most of the
artists had to crouch down as they worked. The work in this chamber is a combination of engraving
and painting. Most figures were first etched into the stone with tools and then painted over in black,
red, and violet hues. As the most realistic and sophisticated paintings, these were created by the
later Magdalenian culture.

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With such a long period of production, it should come as no surprise that the cave paintings are
quite varied. The most famous paintings in the cave are probably the 25 colored paintings of bison,
deer, and horses etched and then painted on the roof of the cave. Impressively, one female deer
measures over 6.5 feet. In terms of material, charcoal was used to make black lines, while they
ground hematite to create the red ochre used to fill in shapes. Older paintings in the caves include
positive and negative images of hands, many depictions of deer, and “masks” created by strategically
drawing eyes and a mouth around bumps in the stone. In fact, this technique was used throughout
the history of the Altamira cave paintings, as the three-dimensional quality of the rocks were used to
give volume to figures.

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Altamira is vital for learning more about daily life in the Paleolithic Period. In terms of art history, the
cave paintings executed during the late Magdalenian culture, which include the bison and deer, are
of vital importance. They show a realism and sophistication that is unparalleled for the time. In fact,
the best example of art by the Magdalenian is located in Altamira. Though the individual paintings
don’t necessarily have a relationship or compositional tie between them, there is a sophistication in
how volume, expressions, and perspective were shown that make them the high point of prehistoric
art.

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While researchers don’t know exactly why these cave paintings were created, their production
certainly shows that these cultures had the leisure time to produce them. This points to cultures that
weren’t only surviving, but thriving. In terms of a specific purpose, some experts believe that the
paintings may have been used during a ritual where a shaman would enter the cave and go into a
trance in order to make contact with spirits.