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| La Cuevona. Massif
of Ardines. |
According to the researchers
Ribadesella had a thriving population in the prehistoric times.
This is no surprise because the land was fertile and offered
protection, as well as fish from the river and estuary, shellfish
from the sea, a supply of fresh drinking water, forests for
hunting and shelter in the form of cave dwellings. The occupation
of the caves in the Atlantic Arch is believed to have started
40,000 B.C during the last glaciations of Würm. It was
a cold period which corresponds with a time of cultural development
called Magdaleniense. This era was the highest point of cultural
development in the Stone age. However the people still had no
knowledge of farming or keeping livestock. So they were hunter
gatherers, the evidence of this are supplied in fossil remains
inside the caves, such as shellfish and harpoons. Because of
the cold environment big predators left the area leaving behind
grazing animals, such as deer and reindeer
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| The natural scenery
of Cova Rosa. |
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| Entrance to the cave
of Tito Bustillo. |
Now we know that human settlement
in our caves was around 33,000 years ago, before this it was
thought to be only 17,000 years ago because of human remains
found in Cova Rosa. Hernández-Pacheco started excavations
in 1912. Many archaeological remains were found and are now
in the archaeological museum in Oviedo. Another instance of
archaeological remains being found are the ones at San Antonio
in Collera, El Cierru, in Fresnu, and at Les Pedroses in El
Carmen. Paintings of three red figures representing certain
types of deer (fawn) were found in the cave at Les Pedroses.
These paintings pre-date the ones in the caves of Tito Bustillo.
It is peculiar that the animals were painted without heads;
the researchers cannot find an explanation for this as yet.
In the massif of Ardines, near Tito Bustillo, are three caves,
La Cuevona, which was the first to be excavated, La del Tenis
and La Lloseta in which was found objects such as sculptures
made from Flint, quartz and bones. These were found besides
a human skull dating back 12,000 years.
The jewel of the crown is
the cave of Tito Bustillo, before they were named after Tito
Bustillo, they were called El Pozu. It is the most important
cave in the area and perhaps one of the most important in the
World. This is because of the quality of the wall paintings
and archaeological remains. The paintings were discovered in
April 1968 by Adolfo Inda and Jesus M. Fernandez Malvarez. Both
from Ribadesella, who at the time were guiding a team of pot-holers.
They entered the cave through a hole in the ceiling or chimney,
but today it can be accessed by a tunnel created in 1970. The
whole cavern is an impressive succession of galleries, stalactites
and rooms with geological formations. The most notable are the
rooms of columns and “the organ” a natural formation
that looks like a waterfall of stalactites. And the cavern people
used to play them like a percussion instrument. But we insist
that the fame of these caves is because of the paintings, these
are from the Magdaleniense era and also the archaeological site.
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| Prehistoric paintings
in the Tito Bustillo. Cave. The panel of the horses. |
The site is still being studied
and excavations are continuing. The data collected in the anthropomorphise
gallery, a secret place inside the cave, which was inhabited
32.990 years ago. From the objects found in area of the big
panel of paintings, such as arrow tips and harpoons, we can
date the habitation of this cave to 12,400 years ago. The primitive
entrance of the cave was blocked by a collapse in the prehistoric
age. And this area dates from 30,450 years ago. Many tools were
found, made from Flint and quartz as well as engraver’s
chisels, scrapers and arrow tips, next to intricate pieces of
carved bone, which are a specialty of the Magdaleniense period.
The most remarkable piece is a deer’s antler which has
a carving of a picture of a goat on it. This item was used a
pendant and is the symbol of the cave of Tito Bustillo. It is
preserved it the archaeological museum in Oviedo.
The painting of the big panel
has made the cave internationally famous. The experts say that
they are equal to Altamira or Lascaux. They are a collection
of images that have been superimposed over each other. The oldest
ones are dated from 15,160 years ago and the most recent are
7,440 years old. But the most interesting are from 12,500 years
ago These were painted in red over previous engravings and paintings
from an earlier age. The flow and tide of the San Miguel river,
running through the cave has damaged the paintings over the
course of many years. In spite of the damage, we can still appreciate
the following figures: a reindeer and a deer facing each other,
a horse’s head painted in black lines and four beautiful
horses’ two of which, most notably, are painted in violet.
One of the violet coloured appears to be of a breed which is
now extinct, and has a unique articulated joint near the hoof.
All these paintings come across as being very realistic, having
been done with great skill. One of the great achievements of
Magdaleniense art is the realistic interpretation of nature
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| The first incursion
into the cave of Tito Bustillo. |
Following the cave away from
the tour guides, there are other groups of paintings and sculptures
of high interest. For example the bison gallery, the gallery
of the anthropomorphise, small room of the horses or the small
cavity, where there are painted several signs that symbolize
female genital organs. Scientists say that it could be a cult
of fertility, like the Palaeolithic Venus that has been found
in other European sites.
| © Copyright de todos los texts por
el author: José Antonio Silva Sastre |
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