Making a difference: Palaeolithic iconography as a trait of identity in the Iberian Peninsula

The study of the figurative repertoire of Palaeolithic artists allows us to approach aspects such as iconographic diffusion and cultural preferences. This paper presents an updated corpus of figurative rock art for the Iberian peninsula and analyses its distribution in the Cantabrian region, inland...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: García Bustos, Miguel, Rivero Vilá, Olivia
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Salamanca (USAL)
Repositorio:GREDOS. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Salamanca
OAI Identifier:oai:gredos.usal.es:10366/164676
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10366/164676
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Prehistory
Symbolism
Territory
Group identity
Rock art
Multivariate analysis
Paleolithic art
5504.05 Prehistoria
5101 Antropología Cultural
5506.02 Historia del Arte
5505.01 Arqueología
Descripción
Sumario:The study of the figurative repertoire of Palaeolithic artists allows us to approach aspects such as iconographic diffusion and cultural preferences. This paper presents an updated corpus of figurative rock art for the Iberian peninsula and analyses its distribution in the Cantabrian region, inland Iberia and the Mediterranean basin, three areas frequently used in the literature. This corpus contains 3341 graphic units that were analysed using multivariate statistics and hypothesis testing. The results show that the main figurative themes can be classified according to their discriminating power. Horse, ibex and deer were the animal motifs that formed the common background of this artistic expression. In contrast, Palaeolithic artists used different proportions of bison, hind and aurochs to create a possible distinctive identity. Finally, it is discussed whether the iconographic selection is due to palaeoecological reasons, cultural motivations, or a combination of both.