Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain

**Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain**
UNESCO World Heritage Site

Location	Santillana del Mar, Spain
Coordinates	43°22′57″N 4°06′58″W / 43.3825°N 4.1161°W / 43.3825; -4.1161
Includes	Cave of Candamo Cave of Las Chimeneas Cave of Las Monedas Q1150800 Q1414019 Q3531702 Q555011 Q555083 Q5794156 Q798018 Cave of Altamira Cave of Altxerri Cave of Chufín Cave of El Castillo Cueva de La Pasiega La Garma cave complex Santimamiñe Tito Bustillo Cave
Criteria	i, iii^[1]
Reference	310
Inscription	1985 (9th Session)
Extensions	2008
Endangered	–
Location of Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain
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Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain is the name under which are grouped 18 caves located in different regions of northern Spain, which together represent the apogee of Paleolithic cave art in Europe between 35,000 and 11,000 B.C. They have been collectively designated a World Heritage Site.

Cave of Altamira

Chief among these caves is Altamira, located within the town of Santillana del Mar in Cantabria. It remains one of the most important painting cycles of prehistory, originating in the Magdalenian and Solutrean periods of the Upper Paleolithic. This cave's artistic style represents the Franco-cantabrian school, characterized by the realism of its figural representation. Altamira Cave was declared a World Heritage Site in 1985.

2008 extension

In 2008 the World Heritage Site was expanded to include 17 additional caves located in northern Spain, some of which contain prominent examples of Paleolithic rock art. These caves are located in three autonomous regions: Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country.

Paleolithic cave art

Cantabria

In addition to Altamira, nine caves are located in Cantabria:

Cave of Chufín in Rionansa.
Cave of Hornos de la Peña in San Felices de Buelna.
Complex of the Caves del Monte Castillo in Puente Viesgo, which includes the following chambers:
- Cave of Las Monedas.
- Cave of El Castillo.
- Cave of Las Chimeneas.
- Cave of La Pasiega.
Cave of El Pendo in Camargo.
Cave of La Garma in Ribamontán al Monte.
Cave of Covalanas in Ramales de la Victoria.

Asturias

Five caves are located in Asturias, all situated in the Comarca de Oriente:

Tito Bustillo Cave in Ribadesella.
Cave of Candamo in Candamu.
Cave of La Covaciella in Cabrales.
Cave of Llonín in Peñamellera Alta.
Cave del Pindal in Ribadedeva.

Basque Country

Three caves are located in the Basque Country, two in the province of Gipuzkoa and one in Bizkaia:

Pike, A. W. G.; Hoffmann, D. L.; Garcia-Diez, M.; Pettitt, P. B.; Alcolea, J.; De Balbin, R.; Gonzalez-Sainz, C.; de las Heras, C.; Lasheras, J. A.; Montes, R.; Zilhao, J. (14 June 2012). "U-Series Dating of Paleolithic Art in 11 Caves in Spain". Science. 336 (6087): 1409–1413. PMID 22700921. doi:10.1126/science.1219957.

Coordinates: 43°22′57″N 4°06′58″W / 43.38250°N 4.11611°W / 43.38250; -4.11611

World Heritage Sites in Spain
For official site names, see each article or the List of World Heritage Sites in Spain.
North West	Caves of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain¹ Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias Roman walls of Lugo Route of Santiago de Compostela¹ Santiago de Compostela Tower of Hercules
North East	Caves of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain¹ Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon Pirineos - Monte Perdido² Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹ Route of Santiago de Compostela¹ San Millán Yuso and Suso Monasteries Vizcaya Bridge
Community of Madrid	Aranjuez Cultural Landscape El Escorial University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares
Centre	Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida Archaeological Site of Atapuerca Ávila with its Extra-mural Churches Burgos Cathedral Cáceres Cuenca Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija³ Las Médulas Monastery of Santa María of Guadalupe Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹ Route of Santiago de Compostela¹ Salamanca Segovia and its Aqueduct Prehistoric Rock-Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde⁴ Toledo
East	Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco, Tarragona Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí Ibiza (Biodiversity and Culture) Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona Palmeral of Elche Poblet Monastery Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹ Serra de Tramuntana Silk Exchange in Valencia Works of Antoni Gaudí
South	Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada Cathedral, Alcázar and General Archive of the Indies, Seville Dolmens Site of Antequera Doñana Historic Centre of Córdoba Renaissance Monuments of Úbeda and Baeza Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹
Canary Islands	Garajonay San Cristóbal de La Laguna Teide National Park
¹ Shared with other region/s ² Shared with France ³ Shared with Slovenia ⁴ Shared with Portugal

↑ http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/310.

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