Southern Iberian Rock Art: The Territory That Holds the Clues to Decipher the Whole Symbolic Path of Humanity

This article reviews key data in the context of the Strait of Gibraltar from the Iberian perspective: a region of significant importance that boasts the highest concentration of rock art sites containing prehistoric paintings and engravings spanning the full spectrum of human rock art, from its ince...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Monge, Guadalupe, Carretero León, María Isabel, Ruíz Muñoz, Francisco
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:idus________::28b1e3b8751ce3ba4a1abc82b6a03bd4
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/186255
https://doi.org/10.3390/quat9010005
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Open-air rock art
Prehistoric paintings
Prehistoric engravings
Southern Spain
Descripción
Sumario:This article reviews key data in the context of the Strait of Gibraltar from the Iberian perspective: a region of significant importance that boasts the highest concentration of rock art sites containing prehistoric paintings and engravings spanning the full spectrum of human rock art, from its inception to the recent historic period. This area is of exceptional value for investigating the replacement of hunter–gatherer–fisher groups by tribal community societies over time, as well as the transition from Neanderthals to Homo sapiens on both sides of the Strait. Current understanding of this resource is analysed and the main threats to it are addressed alongside possible solutions.