Cova Eirós. Primeras evidencias de arte rupestre paleolítico en el Noroeste peninsular

A. de Lombera Hermida & R. Fábregas Valcarce (Eds.)

Cova Eirós Primeras evidencias de arte rupestre Paleolítico en el Noroeste Peninsular

Cova Eirós Primeras evidencias de arte rupestre Paleolítico en el Noroeste Peninsular A. de Lombera Hermida & R. Fábregas Valcarce

© Los autores Primera Edición. Santiago de Compostela, 2013. Edita Andavira Editora, S.L. www.andavira.com Maquetación e impresión Tórculo Artes Gráicas, S.A. ISBN: 978-84-8408-706-9 DL: C 473-2013 Reservados todos los derechos de reproducción. El contenido de esta publicación, no puede ser reproducido ni en su totalidad ni en parte, ni transmitirlo, ni registrado por ningún sistema de recuperación de información, en ninguna forma ni por ningún procedimiento electrónico, mecánico o fotográico sin el permiso por escrito del editor o de los autores.

Índice Índice Abstract Introducción Arturo de Lombera Hermida y Ramón Fábregas Valcarce

Capítulo 1 El arte Paleolítico en el NW peninsular A. de Lombera Hermida

Capítulo 2 El yacimiento de Cova Eirós. Localización A. de Lombera Hermida; X. P. Rodríguez Álvarez; R. Fábregas Valcarce 2.1. Las ocupaciones Paleolíticas de Cova Eirós. Los niveles del Paleolítico superior ....................................................................

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2.2. El contexto regional de las ocupaciones de Cova Eirós .............................

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Capítulo 3 Manifestaciones rupestres 3.1. Características generales de los espacios y soportes R. Viñas Vallverdú, A. de Lombera Hermida. ......................................................

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3.2. Metodología de estudio. Analíticas y tratamiento fotográico A. Rubio Mora, N. Cortón, A. López, F. Carrera Ramírez. .................................

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3.3. Análisis de composición de depósitos naturales y pigmentos T. Rivas Brea, A de Lombera Hermida, X. P. Rodríguez Álvarez, R. Viñas Vallverdú y E. López de Silanes. ...............................................................................

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3.4. Temática y técnica de las manifestaciones rupestres de Cova Eirós R. Viñas Vallverdú. .........................................................................................................

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3.5. Descripción de los paneles R. Viñas Vallverdú. .........................................................................................................

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3.6. Primeras observaciones crono-culturales R. Viñas Vallverdú . ........................................................................................................

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Capítulo 4 Conclusiones y contexto regional A. de Lombera Hermida, X. P. Rodríguez Álvarez, R. Fábregas Valcarce, R. Viñas Vallverdú Agradecimientos. ...................................................................................................................

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Referencias Bibliográicas. ................................................................................................

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Lista de autores

Abstract Cova Eirós. The irst evidences of Paleolithic cave art in Northwest Iberia. Galicia has traditionally remained aloof from Paleolithic art research, given the alleged absence of rock art and the scarcity of mobiliar inds. However, the abundant evidence of Upper Paleolithic settlement discovered in the last forty years pointed towards the probability of cave art of that chronology occurring in this area (Fabregas & de Lombera, 2010). The recurring presence of communities of Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers in eastern Galicia, the indings of portable art, evidence of long-range contacts and, mainly, the discovery of rock art in Northern Portugal, in very similar lithological backgrounds, underlined the anomaly of that apparent void in Galicia. The quest for cave art has been severely constrained by several factors: to start with, the dominance of a Paleozoic geological substratum where limestone formations are restricted to narrow strips in the Eastern Sierras and karst systems are little developed in comparison with other Iberian regions (de Lombera, 2011). Secondly, local research institutions did not show much interest about the Paleolithic. The increased activity of Galician speleologists in recent decades, could have brought to light eventual examples of cave art, were they so spectacular as some of the most famous sites in Cantabrian Spain. However, since no systematic, archaeologicallysupervised, efort to ind this kind of evidence has been undertaken, we cannot rule out the appearance of Paleolithic art even in caves known from old, perhaps containing hardly visible carvings or muchweathered paintings, as happened in the Cantabrian region (Montes et al., 2005). The sequence of Upper Palaeolithic occupations at Cova Eiros, ranging from its initial stages (32,000 BP) to the end of the Late Glacial (12,000 BP), and the various objects of mobile art discovered in these

8 I Cova Eirós. Primeras evidencias de arte rupestre Paleolítico en el Noroeste Peninsular.

levels (Fig. 1), hinted at the possibility of inding cave art at this site. The identiication of painted and engraved igures in September 2011 led to the systematic review of the walls of the Main Hall, or Hall of the Mammoth, and secundary galleries, as well as conducting a series of analysis aimed to conirm its Paleolithic ascription. During the work carried out in 2011/2012 eleven decorated panels were identiied (Table 4). They accumulate in the Hall of the Mammoth, the largest space of the cavity -15 m long by 5 m high- (Fig. 8). On its walls there are numerous painted and engraved images at an intermediate or low height, never more than 2.5 m over the current soil surface. Although art has been found everywhere, it is more abundant on the west wall (Panels I to VI), to the right side as one enters the chamber. Here more complex motifs and associations are found, including the concurrence of black paintings and engravings, especially on Panel III (Fig. 28, 29, 30). In front of this wall there is Panel VIII, with a rich display of superimposed carvings that, on a irst sight, count among them signs and zoomorphs but requiring a careful analysis to identify the diferent subjects represented (Fig. 36, 37). Other graphic examples are found in diferent alcoves and in the south-east gallery, and also an engraved triangular sign was reported on the ceiling of the inal section of the main gallery, just above the area where paleontological excavations were undertaken in the 90’. In the mentioned 11 panels, we have identiied to this date a total of 84 Graphic Units, half of which corresponding to painted motifs (Fig. 31), followed by carvings (46.4%) (Fig. 23) and the use of natural rock formations (3.6%) (Fig. 24). However, it is very likely that carved igures are currently underrepresented, since a number of groups of lines were catalogued as a whole, awaiting a systematic study that would allow to distinguish new images. The motifs are usually small, constrained by the limited availability of space on surfaces that are very cracked and weathered, but they seem to relect a stylistic choice as well. Another feature and one of the main obstacles facing their study, is the poor state of preservation of the images, either by the washing-of of the paintings (maybe explaining some of the isolated spots or lines) or due to the blackish ilm that covers part of the tracings, as shown in Panel III (Fig. 28). Many modern graiti, some dating back to the early 20th century, have altered or nearly destroyed many igures, making diicult their observation and reading. Thus, the analysis of rock art in Cova Eiros requires a thorough and systematic survey of the walls as the visibility of the graphics is very poor. The type of support is quite relevant to the study of engravings since many of them were done on the softened-up walls of the cave and the supericial clay layer was susceptible to a subsequent removal

Abstract I 9

by water runof, while the carvings executed directly on the bedrock are more resilient. This diferential erosion may explain, in turn, the common ind of zoomorphic anatomical segments or partial motifs. On Panel VIII, the largest concentration of engravings with complex associations, juxtapositions and overlaps is covered by a blackish deposit (Fig. 36). The carvings reveal the orange clay underneath, thus enhancing their visibility against the support. Over time, these motifs would be covered by the blackish layer, ofering again a dark and uniform surface for the realization of new tracings. This could explain the numerous superimpositions identiied here and hint at the existence of several moments in the execution of the graphics. As to themes, the commonest are dots or simple strokes of paint, isolated or grouped, usually placed in the lower reaches of the panels all over the cave. Depending on their location, this kind of marks or tracings can be interpreted as intentional or, else, as evidence of reviving a torchlight, accidental scratches or topographic signals (Diaz, 1993), whose execution could reach into historic times (Díez & Gonzalez, 2003). Also frequent are the thin carvings, isolated or in groups and often appearing as a maze that covers much of the surface. Panel VIII is a good example, displaying a dense array of tracings, among which abstract and igurative images might be present. Lastly, there are clearcut painted and carved animal representations (bovids, deer, ursids, proboscideans) (Fig. 24, 25, 26, 33, 39), generally incomplete and also some well deined signs (Fig. 23). With respect to the painting technique the black pigment is clearly dominant, for only on Panel II some possible red spots would depart from the seemingly general use of charcoal, as shown in the samples analyzed (Fig. 22, 27). The engravings are usually thin and shallow, at times forming dense clusters, but in other occasions the grooves have a wider U-section, made with a blunt graver. Finally, we observed the eventual use of natural rock reliefs with morphologies reminiscent of protomos or animal silhouettes, to which dots or strokes are added to enhance that zoomorphic resemblance (Fig. 24). This particular practice has a lot of parallels in the Paleolithic cave art (ie Bernifal, El Castillo, Las Chimeneas) (González, 1974; Groenen, 2000). Technical and stylistic studies are still going on, but some technomorphological traits allow us to put forward a working hypothesis about the chrono-cultural framework for these artistic manifestations. With the available data, we might distinguish two main phases: painted motifs suggest an older chronology (Gravettian?), taking into account the anatomical disproportion of the zoomorphs and the occurrence of the digitated double sign on Panel III (Fig. 30, P-2), associations documented in Solutrean sites like Covalanas (Ramales de la Victoria,

10 I Cova Eirós. Primeras evidencias de arte rupestre Paleolítico en el Noroeste Peninsular.

Cantabria) (Moure et al., 1990; 1991) and Grotte de la Tête de Lion (Bidon, Ardèche) (Brun, 1985). Moreover, the zoomorphs from Panel II, although rather faint, resemble the morphology of animal representations from El Pendo or, by extension, the “Escuela de Ramales”, ascribed to the Final Gravettian or Early Solutrean (Montes & Sanguino, 2001). However, the existence of many ine striated carvings overlaying other motifs, the zoomorphs with elongated bodies, a simpliied representation of the extremities and illed-in bodies (eg the bovid of Panel I or the zoomorph G-1 of Panel III) (Fig. 25, 30, G-1), together with the small size of the igures seemingly point to the inal moments of the Magdalenian / transition to the Epipaleolithic (Bueno et al., 2009; Viñas et al., 2010). They resemble some plaquettes from Fariseu or engravings at Penascosa or Canada do Inferno 14 in the Côa Valley, dating on stylistic and archaeological grounds to 11,500-10,000 BP (Aubry & Sampaio, 2006; Mercier et al., 2009). Similar igures with thin carvings and bodies illed-in with striations, superimposed on older motifs, are also found in the open-air site of Siega Verde (panels 5, 8, 4) (Alcolea & Balbín, 2006), and on portable art with geometric carvings belonging to the inal Magdalenian/early Epipaleolithic from several locations in the Northern Meseta (Estebanvela, La Dehesa, La Uña) (Bueno et al., 2009). In caves, too, we know of representations akin in shape and chronology from Cueva de la Palomera (Burgos) (particularly deer, Corchón et al., 1996; Jordá, 1969) or Escoural and perhaps some of the thin geometric engravings overlaying other motifs in Cueva de la Griega (Corchón, 1997). The presence of charcoal in the pigments and certain engravings recovered by calcitic crusts make feasible the obtention of radiometric dates that will help to precise the chrono-cultural ascription of the rock art of Cova Eirós. In Panel III we observed carvings overlaid by painted motifs, thus indicating that paintings are later in this sector. All in all, the latter and the parallels considered above would be consistent with the chronology of levels 1 (Gravettian) and B (inal Magdalenian) reported at the cave entrance but the actual execution of the graphic representations further inside could have a complex sequence, not necessarily or always related to the settlement sequence of the site. Studies on the functionality of the occupation layers at the entrance and the precise dating of the activities performed in the interior of the cave will greatly help to clarify the relationship between both phenomena. The indings at Cova Eirós constitute the irst evidence for a Palaeolithic sanctuary in Galicia (Fig. 40), an area that to this date had remained apart from rock art research. But the main implication is opening the door to new discoveries not only in Galician caverns,

Abstract I 11

but also in rock shelters like those found in the interior of Iberia (Siega Verde, Domingo Garcia, valleys of Côa and Sabor, etc.) (Baptista & Reis, 2009; Balbin, 2009). These new data give a boost to an integral approach to the analysis of Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherer societies in NW Iberia, also helping to understand their cultural and socioeconomic relationship with neighboring regions.

El descubrimiento de varias manifestaciones parietales, grabadas y pintadas, en el interior de la cavidad de Cova Eirós (Triacastela, Lugo) supone el primer hallazgo de arte rupestre Paleolítico en el NW peninsular, cubriendo así uno de los principales vacíos que existía en la investigación paleolítica en Galicia. La presente publicación tiene como objetivo dar a conocer los resultados del estudio preliminar del arte parietal de Cova Eirós que, a pesar de su dispar estado de conservación, permite acercarnos al mundo simbólico de los grupos de cazadores recolectores que habitaron el NW peninsular hace tal vez unos 20.000 años.

Foto portada: A. Rubio. Foto contraportada: J. Mestre/IPHES. Calcos: R. Viñas.

ISBN:978-84-8408-706-9

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