New Insights into the Study of Paleolithic Rock Art: Dismantling the “Basque Country Void”

Recent research has significantly challenged the long-held perception of a 'Basque Country Void' in Paleolithic cave art, demonstrating that the eastern sector of northern Spain—between the Asón River and the Pyrenees—was not merely marginal but a key hub for artistic production during the Upper Paleolithic. Over the past decade, systematic investigations have tripled the number of known decorated caves in this region, with notable discoveries such as Atxurra, Armintxe, and Aitzbitarte IV emerging as major cave art sites. This contradicts earlier assumptions about the distribution of parietal art, which suggested a lower density in the Basque Country compared to neighboring Cantabria and Asturias. The findings, based on extensive fieldwork and analysis, reveal a more nuanced understanding of human connections, settlement dynamics, and artistic expression across the Vasco-Cantabrian region, bridging gaps between the Cantabrian, Pyrenean, and Aquitaine regions.

Maidagan, D. G. (2018). New Insights into the Study of Paleolithic Rock Art: Dismantling the “Basque Country Void”. Journal of Anthropological Research, 74(2), 168–200. https://doi.org/10.1086/695721