C A N T A B R I A   U N I V E R S I T Y
 
 
   
 
  PALEOLITHIC ART      
Las Monedas (Puente Viesgo)  
    Caballo   In 1952, Mr. Alfredo García Lorenzo , engineer, during the works to facilitate the access and visits to the discovered caves of La Pasiega and El Castillo, explored this mountain convinced of the existance of more cavities. Thanks to the indications of a forest guard, he localized the entrance of what at that moment became the third cavern with palaeolithic parietal art in the Castillo Mountain. At the beginning, it was known as the " Cueva de los osos" (Bears Cave), because of the bear remains found on the surface. Subsequently, exploring the cave, 20 coins minted in 1563 were localized in a well, this is why it came to be known as "Las Monedas" cave.

All the parietal evidences located in the cave are made in black linear trace. Between the representations, we find many horses, an incomplete figure of a bison in vertical position, one hind, one bear of the caverns,goats reindeers,one mustelid, and animals difficult to identify, which have not been clasified in any species. Moreover there is a group of non-figurative representations.

Recently, a chronologic investigation has taken place. This proyect, inside the "Documentacion del arte ruprestre en el sector central de la costa cantabrica. Una evaluación de técnicas de trabajo", was leaded by A. Moure Romanillo, C. González Sainz, V. Cabrera Valdés and F. Bernaldo de Quirós. The dates, obtained from samples taken from the figure of a cáprido and a horse, are of 12170 ± 110 and 11630 ± 120 for the first one and 11950 ± 120 for the second one. These dates confirm the stilistic chronology and the synchrony of the group, which would have been made between 12390 and 11710 BP.

 
   
 
Caballo
 
   
   
   
   
   
                               
  P R E H I S T O R I C   A R T