Universität zu Köln

Marti, Africa Pitarch, Zilhao, Joao, d'Errico, Francesco, Cantalejo-Duarte, Pedro, Dominguez-Bella, Salvador ORCID: 0000-0003-3892-763X, Fullola, Josep M., Weniger, Gerd C. and Ramos-Munoz, Jose ORCID: 0000-0002-6042-2446 (2021). The symbolic role of the underground world among Middle Paleolithic Neanderthals. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 118 (33). WASHINGTON: NATL ACAD SCIENCES. ISSN 0027-8424

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Abstract

Cueva de Ardales in Malaga, Spain, is one of the richest and bestpreserved Paleolithic painted caves of southwestern Europe, containing over a thousand graphic representations. Here, we study the red pigment in panel II.A.3 of Sala de las Estrellas, dated by U-Th to the Middle Paleolithic, to determine its composition, verify its anthropogenic nature, infer the associated behaviors, and discuss their implications. Using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction, we analyzed a set of samples from the panel and compared them to natural coloring materials collected from the floor and walls of the cave. The conspicuously different texture and composition of the geological samples indicates that the pigments used in the paintings do not come from the outcrops of colorant material known in the cave. We confirm that the paintings are not the result of natural processes and show that the composition of the paint is consistent with the artistic activity being recurrent. Our results strengthen the hypothesis that Neanderthals symbolically used these paintings and the large stalagmitic dome harboring them over an extended time span.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Marti, Africa Pitarch UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Zilhao, Joao UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED d'Errico, Francesco UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Cantalejo-Duarte, Pedro UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Dominguez-Bella, Salvador UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0003-3892-763X UNSPECIFIED Fullola, Josep M. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Weniger, Gerd C. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Ramos-Munoz, Jose UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-6042-2446 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-599079
DOI:	10.1073/pnas.2021495118
Journal or Publication Title:	Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A.
Volume:	118
Number:	33
Date:	2021
Publisher:	NATL ACAD SCIENCES
Place of Publication:	WASHINGTON
ISSN:	0027-8424
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language EL CASTILLO CAVE; ROCK ART; DEPOSITS Multiple languages Multidisciplinary Sciences Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/59907