Characterization of the regional sequence of Levantine Art. Continuity, transformation and change of postglacial graphic productions in the Iberian system

PhD researcher: Paula Hernáiz Prieto

PhD supervisor: Juan Francisco Ruiz López and Diego Garate Maidagan

Stylistic variability is a common phenomenon in Rock Art. This issue is very present in the different types of art that we find during Prehistory, being a key element when addressing its chronocultural framework. One of the arts on which it is essential to address this question is the Levantine Art since it is inserted in a key moment in Prehistory such as the transition from societies of hunter-gatherers to those of agrarians-farmers, to this we must add that, due to its characteristics, is a source of first-hand information on the lifestyles and ideology of its creators.

Although it is very recognizable due to its characteristics, it is not a homogeneous entity, as it presents variability throughout the territory in which it is located, which research has tended to group into nuclei based on their similarities. Traditionally, this variability has been approached from the chrono-stylistic approach, however, the division between one style or another is not so clear in all cases, which has led to the lack of consensus on the hypotheses regarding its chronological framework. -cultural.

We understand that every graphic composition is the result of a series of decisions that range from the material chosen in the production of a pigment to the arrangement of the figures on the support. These decisions are due to different territorial, cultural or chronological factors which, without a doubt, are in turn behind the variety of Levantine Art. Our objective will be to approach the elements behind this variability from the main element of this art, painting.

To do this, we will focus on the physical-chemical and technological characterization of the pictographs and their spatial distribution through different photographic documentation techniques (such as photogrammetry and gigapixel photography), archaeometric analysis techniques (such as photography and the analysis of hyperspectral images ) and statistics. These techniques will allow us to identify homologies in the pictographs based on the material composition of the painting, as well as recognize the sequence of decoration of the graphics and the evolution of the shelters. All of this can give us information about its relative chronology, mobility patterns or the interaction between the authoring groups. Likewise, with the methodological development we hope to be able to put into practice an exhaustive documentation protocol applicable to the rest of the rock art, contributing to the protection, dissemination and conservation of this Heritage.

In coherence with these objectives we will focus on one of those traditionally considered the core of Levantine Art, the area that includes the Sierra de las Cuerdas (Cuenca) and Albarracín. On this core we will try to contrast the traditional hypotheses by identifying the elements, based on homologies, that define a specific core based on measurable variables. With all this, we hope to provide data that helps delve into the chronocultural framework of Levantine Art, an unresolved aspect in the research.