Spain cave discovery reveals 280 Ice Age rock engravings

Archaeologists have discovered approximately 280 prehistoric engravings within the Cova de la Font Major in Catalonia, Spain. The findings, published in the journal Antiquity, include 55 animal figures such as horses, deer, and bovids, alongside 40 parallel lines and various geometric shapes.

The discovery is considered remarkable because the cave has been a well-known tourist attraction since 1993 and has been visited by researchers and explorers for decades. Despite the high volume of visitors, the Upper Paleolithic motifs remained undetected. The engravings are estimated to be at least 19,000 years old, dating back to the last glacial period.

Josep Maria Vergès Bosch and Míriam Salas-Altès of the Catalan Institute of Human Palaeoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES-CERCA) identified the motifs after investigating vertical lines found in a side cave. The team noted that the discovery challenges existing understandings regarding the distribution and independence of Paleolithic art traditions in Western Europe.