La representación humana solutrense de la Cueva de Ambrosio (Vélez-Blanco, Almería, España)

Abstract

The Palaeolithic site of Cueva de Ambrosio (Vélez Blanco, Almería, Spain) keeps providing significant information that is changing our perspectives about the way of life of the Solutrean hunter-gatherers. We already changed our point of view regarding our interpretation on lithics (i.e. arrowheads made for archery purposes for first time); on how the living areas were organized (i.e. existence of different fire-related features which are used for different purposes); and lately we have changed our point of view regarding our interpretation on artistic expressions. The greatest rock art complex dated accurately by the overlying archaeological levels was discovered here in 1992. A new amazing discovery was made in 2008: we found within that complex the first portrait in mankind history. This can be dated between 26270 -25230 cal BP (Gif-9884). In order to consider a portrait as such, individual features must be reflected in the picture. A portrait is made of two linked strata: both physical and psychological features of the individual must be depicted. So far those conditions were only found on the decorated pebbles at the French site of La Marche (15500-14700 cal BP; Ly-2100), this is to say Middle Magdalenian period. However the new find of Cueva de Ambrosio brings this chronology back 10,000 years, to the Middle Solutrean period. Detailed explanations regarding the circumstances of the discovery are provided in the following text, as well as a meticulous description of the find and its archaeological and chronological frame, which is set within the European Upper Palaeolithic period.