A gallery of prehistoric life
The Tajo de las Figuras rock shelter, located near Benalup-Casas Viejas, contains one of the most significant concentrations of schematic rock art in Southern Spain. First studied scientifically in 1913 by Juan Cabré and Eduardo Hernández-Pacheco, the site holds over 500 distinct figures. These paintings date primarily from the Neolithic to the early Bronze Age. The collection of images is diverse, categorized into three main groups: human figures, animals, and abstract signs.
The animal depictions are significant for their variety. Artists of the era painted deer, bulls, horses, wolves, and antelope. The site is exceptional for the sheer number of bird illustrations—more than all other European cave art sites combined. Researchers have identified representations of species like the mallard, the ruddy shelduck, and the pied avocet. Some interpretations even suggest the presence of the now-extinct Northern Bald Ibis. The abundance of avian figures is likely due to the shelter's proximity to the ancient La Janda Lagoon, a major stopover for migratory birds. The artists used of red, yellow, and white pigments for their work.
The science behind the paint
Analysis of the pigments reveals information beyond the images themselves. The red and yellow colors come from common iron oxides (ochre), and the black from charcoal. The white pigment, however, is a magnesium calcium carbonate mineral called huntite (Mg3Ca(CO3)4). This mineral is not found in the immediate vicinity of the cave. The nearest known source of huntite is approximately 60 kilometers away, which indicates that the Neolithic and Chalcolithic people who created this art participated in trade or traveled significant distances to procure specific materials.
The shelter itself is a product of geological forces. Wind and water erosion on the local sandstone created the shallow cave, which is about 8 meters deep, 2 meters tall, and up to 4 meters wide. Unfortunately, for many years, guides would wet the walls to make the paintings more visible to tourists. This practice led to the formation of a thin layer of calcite over the art, obscuring many of the once-vivid figures. In 1924, the site was declared an Architectural Artistic Monument. Restoration efforts in 2005 focused on cleaning and consolidating the remaining images.