Caves of Monte Castillo facts for kids
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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Location of Monte Castillo in Cantabria
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| Location | Puente Viesgo, Cantabria, Spain |
| Part of | Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain |
| Includes |
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| Criteria | Cultural: (i), (iii) |
| Inscription | 1985 (9th Session) |
| Extensions | 2008 |
| Buffer zone | 275.72 ha (681.3 acres) |
The Caves of Monte Castillo are a group of amazing natural caves. They are found in a place called Puente Viesgo in Cantabria, Spain. These caves hold some of the most important clues about people from the Paleolithic Age. This was a very long time ago, when early humans lived.
The caves are located on a hill called Monte Castillo. This hill is about 354 meters (1,161 feet) high. There are four main caves here that are part of a special list. Since 2008, they have been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. This means they are very important to the whole world. These four caves are: El Castillo, Las Chimeneas, La Pasiega, and Las Monedas. There is also a smaller fifth cave called La Flecha. The caves are all found near the Pas river.
Discovering Ancient Art
The Caves of Monte Castillo are famous for their ancient art. This art was made by early humans thousands of years ago.
El Castillo Cave
The El Castillo cave was found in 1903 by Hermilio Alcalde del Río. It was one of the first places where scientists studied ancient cave art in Spain. Hugo Obermaier was a key person who explored and dug up parts of this cave.
The cave has many drawings and paintings. Some of these are hand stencils, which are outlines of hands. These were made using red ochre, a natural pigment. Scientists believe these hand stencils are about 35,000 years old.
There is also a red disk painted in El Castillo cave. In 2012, studies showed this disk might be even older. It could be more than 40,000 years old! This makes it the oldest known dated cave art in the world.
Las Monedas Cave
The Cueva de Las Monedas (Cave of the Coins) was discovered later, in 1952. Eduardo Ripoll Perelló helped explore this cave.
The cave got its name because some old coins from the 1500s were found inside. But the most interesting things are the paintings. These paintings are from a time called the Magdalenian period, about 13,000 years ago. They show different animals like horses, goats, bears, bison, and reindeer.
Images for kids
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Map showing where the caves are located on Monte Castillo.
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See also
- Art of the Upper Paleolithic
- List of Stone Age art
