Lamiñak cave-system:
Planimetry of “experimental” cave with where we point out the room where we have developed the experiments (ADES).
Lamiñak cave-system (Berriatua, Northern Spain) is only 300 meters from the decorated cave of Atxurra. This is open in the massive coralline limestone as part of the urgonian limestone complex of the Early Cretaceous. It is 4.7 km-long cave on several levels (GEV 1985) with a wide range of morphologies, very similar to Atxurra, but with no known archaeological remains (there are only some passages with cave-bear hollows and crawl marks). Two experimental archaeology programs were carried out in this cave, minimizing the environmental and biological impact.
Two sub-horizontal circuits were planned in a deep zone without natural lighting, on two overlapping cave levels, connected by a 7-meter vertical chimney. We use also this last natural obstacle, in addition with a sub-vertical passage, to evaluate the effect of climbs. The upper circuit has a floor with a changing slope, while the ceiling constantly increases and decreases in height; it ends in a narrow 24 cm-high crawlway to a small chamber. The lower route has a more stable sloping floor and high ceilings. In these circuits, an attempt was made to summarize all the possible scenarios known in caves decorated with Palaeolithic art, as well as different types of movement (crawling, walking, climbing and traversing).
Experimental program carried out in 2020
- Tracaelogical analyisis of Paleolithic engravings in Atxurra
We found a limestone wall, similar to the “Ledge of the Horses” wall. In both sites the hard limestone is covered by a reddish decalcification clay. The selected panel was 0.5 m long and 0.3 m width, and was located 60 cm from the cave floor. The experiment was made by O. Rivero, P. García-Bustos, J. Ríos-Garaizar y D. Garate. A right handed engraver made 10 vertical single tracings, then another right handed made series of 50 and 100 tracings in a back and forth movement with the same tools. These multiple tracings were made to replicate intense wear on the tools. Seven of the ten single tracings were made with an unused active part of the tool, and three of them after the multiple series. This aimed to find differences in tracing execution between the unused tools and the wear tools.
Experimental incisions made on the rocky surface of the Lamiñak cave and the gesture used for their execution.