The cave of Altamira is one of the Palaeolithic
wonders of the world, a prehistoric art gallery
where Stone Age fauna can be found depicted
in careful detail by the cave-dwelling artisans.
The vivid colours and charcoal were preserved
by a landslide that sealed the opening for millennia
until discovered in 1868 when during a hunt,
a gun dog scrambled its way inside the cave.
Once discovered, access was unrestricted.
I visited the cave almost a century later
in 1966 and still remember marvelling
open-mouthed at how bright the paintings
of the polychromatic bison and aurochs looked
and how the bulges in the rock were used
to make the beasts appear three-dimensional.
For the last twenty-four years, to preserve it
from the damaging effect of visitors’ breath
on the ochres and charcoal of the murals,
the cave has been closed to tourists.
To prevent the paintings from deteriorating,
the cave is now open only to researchers
so that they can determine the techniques
employed by cave dwellers of the Palaeolithic.
They have revealed that the shapes of the animals
were first outlined with a flint tool, and then painted
over a period that lasted some twenty thousand years.
It’s as if the themes of an artist like Rosa Bonheur
had magically stretched all the way back for millenia,
to be suggested by those gifted Palaeolithic artisans.
Tony Dawson, 7 August 2026
I would have loved to see an image accompany Tony’s vivid descriptions of the grotto, as my own imagination doesn’t do justice to his lovely words.
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Cave paintings are so mysterious and beautiful! Painting in three dimensions and on a ceiling is truly amazing. This is an enlightening piece that could lead to a whole world of exploration.
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Thank you for writing this, Tony. It got me checking out the subject and leading to more than superficial knowledge.
Leila
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Thanks for this. I got me googling too. Very informative.
mick
ps. Warning to all would be explorers: last time I explored a cave I found myself ankle deep in bat crap.
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Here’s to Colonel Bat Guano!
LA
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Interesting. Good use of details to create an immersive read.
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Tony
I’ve said it before and will say it again because it bears repeating many times and even ad infinitum, you have a real talent for choosing excellent material to write about!
In a world that is fascinated with trash, junk, and stupid, mindless, pointless distractions, selecting things that are worth focusing on and that can challenge the spirit and mind is so important that it’s something all of us should try to focus on, as best we can, like you do here and in all your Saragun work. Everyone can be better educated if they try (even, without doubt, people with so-called “average” intelligence, or lower, etc. etc.). Being poorly educated is undoubtedly the source of ALL our other problems. ALL! And being poorly educated is just as big a problem in the so-called “higher” classes as it is in the so-called “lower.” (Being well-educated actually has almost nothing to do with going to school or college, especially now.)
The internet is an amazing invention, or the worst invention of all time, all depending upon HOW it’s used! Also, the cave paintings were kind of like early internet in many many ways.
Great work once again, Tony!
Dale
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