Images and Places in the Upper Palaeolithic of the Douro Basin, Iberian Peninsula: An Ontological Approach

Palaeolithic rock art in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde, Iberian Peninsula, suggests that Upper Palaeolithic societies likely operated under a totemic mode of identification, where animals held symbolic significance tied to social structure. This study breaks new ground by analyzing not just isolated images but their spatial context within landscapes ('taskscape'), revealing distinct patterns between densely concentrated Gravettian sites and more isolated Middle Solutrean ones. The research employs an ontological approach, contrasting local art traditions with broader Western European evidence to infer that similar totemic structures may have prevailed across the region. This shifts the focus from mere artistic expression to the social and symbolic appropriation of space, offering a novel framework for interpreting Palaeolithic rock art.

Santos, A. T. (2026). Images and Places in the Upper Palaeolithic of the Douro Basin, Iberian Peninsula: An Ontological Approach. EAZ – Ethnographisch-Archaeologische Zeitschrift, 59(2). https://doi.org/10.54799/oakh4354