Siega Verde and the open-air rock art of the northern Iberian Peninsula (Spain)

Siega Verde, an open-air rock art site in northern Iberian Peninsula, challenges traditional interpretations of Palaeolithic art by demonstrating that such art does not necessarily require cave settings. Using stylistic criteria to date the art, researchers found that Siega Verde's Upper Palaeolithic art ensemble, similar in style and age to cave art, represents a communicative code independent of dark or mysterious environments. This approach was later validated by archaeological excavations at Fariseu in Portugal, supporting Leroi-Gourhan’s stylistic dating method. The study also highlights intermediate forms of open-air rock art found in cave entrances and rock-shelters across the Iberian Peninsula, including regions previously thought to lack Palaeolithic art evidence, such as the southern Mediterranean coast and Andalusia.

BALBÍN-BEHRMANN, R. D., & ALCOLEA-GONZÁLEZ, J. J. (2021). Siega Verde and the open-air rock art of the northern Iberian Peninsula (Spain). Comptes Rendus Palevol, (24). https://doi.org/10.5852/cr-palevol2021v20a24