Armintxe Cave
Armintxe Cave in Lekeitio is an important Paleolithic rock art site, estimated to date from between 12,000 and 14,500 years ago.
Location
Armintxe Cave is situated in the Lekeitio municipality of the Biscay province, in the Basque Country, northern Spain.Discovery
Although the cave was known from a long time ago, it was believed that it disappeared because of the urbanization and construction works made at the end of the 20th century and beginnings of the 21st. It was found again and explored on May 1, 2016, by eight speleologists from the Basque group ADES Espeleologia Elkartea. After opening the entrance duct, located on a hillside in an urban environment, the cavers entered unknown galleries, and forced a step to a room where they found the panel of engravings.Rock art
Some of these forms and the etching technique used were announced to be "identical" to those found in the French Pyrenees which suggests that there could have been links between the inhabitants of both areas. Already described as a “treasure of humanity.” the depictions are among the largest found to date – some measuring up to in length. A surprise was the first Paleolithic representation of two lions in the region. In a first analysis the etchings were estimated to date from between 12,000 and 14,500 years ago.The main panel is beautifully and masterly carved with animal figures, displayed in a complex composition, suggesting some sort of perspective. All of them have been engraved with the same technique, scratching the soft limestone with the fingers or with a dull point, resulting in very detailed and easy to see figures. The animals are represented with high detail, typical from Magdalenian art style. Represented animals are horses, bisons, ibex and some carnivores. One of these carnivores has been interpreted as a lion, which is an animal rarely present in Magdalenian art. Besides, several signs, including clear claviforms, have been found there. The conventions used for representing animals and the presence of claviforms suggest that the figures could be related to the Late Magdalenian art.
Not open to the public, 'extremely difficult to access', located under a residential building in the center of Lekeitio, the need to preserve the paintings outlines the current impossibility to access the artwork.