Dehesilla Cave Rock Paintings (Cádiz, Spain): Analysis and Contextualisation within the Prehistoric Art of the Southern Iberian Peninsula

A systematic survey of Dehesilla Cave was carried out during 2017 in order to search for traces of rock art. Several panels with paintings were identified in the chamber next to the entrance (consisting of strokes, dots, stains, and remnants of shapes in red and black), which had remained unnoticed...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Mas Cornellá, Martí, Gavilán Ceballos, Beatriz, Barrera Vera, José Antonio
Format: article
Publication Date:2024
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Huelva (UHU)
Repository:Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ariasmontano.uhu.es:10272/24275
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10272/24275
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Rock art
Southern Iberian Peninsula
Neolithic
Physical and chemical analysis
Dehesilla Cave
55 Historia
Description
Summary:A systematic survey of Dehesilla Cave was carried out during 2017 in order to search for traces of rock art. Several panels with paintings were identified in the chamber next to the entrance (consisting of strokes, dots, stains, and remnants of shapes in red and black), which had remained unnoticed up until now and may provide relevant information towards the understanding of the prehistoric use of the cave and its seemingly symbolic topography. However, we cannot assume a priori a relationship between these paintings and the well-known Neolithic sequence of the site. To assess these paintings, we have analysed photomicrographs which have allowed us to determine their detailed characteristics, stroke morphology, and remnant features (for instance, hue, shape, density of paint, pigment grain size, micro-stroke traces left by the tools used). Taphonomic issues have also been considered and several physical and chemical techniques of analysis have been applied in order to identify the pigments and possible binders