Amics del Museu de Xàbia
  • Home
    • Qui Som?
    • ¿Quienes Somos?
    • About Us
    • Calendario
    • Actas
    • Assemblea anual 2022
  • Blogs
    • Activitats
    • Actividades
    • Activities
    • Museu de Xàbia Blog
  • Projectes
    • Premio de Investigación - Formularios de Inscripción
    • Traducciones Translations >
      • DISPLAY PANELS - GROUND FLOOR >
        • THE STONE AGES - PALAEOLITHIC, EPIPALAEOLITHIC AND NEOLITHIC
        • CAVE PAINTINGS (ARTE RUPESTRE)
        • CHALCOLITHIC (Copper) & BRONZE AGES
        • THE IBERIAN CULTURE (THE IRON AGE)
        • THE IBERIAN TREASURE OF XÀBIA
        • THE ROMAN SETTLEMENTS OF XÀBIA
        • THE ROMAN SITE AT PUNTA DE L'ARENAL
        • THE MUNTANYAR NECROPOLIS
        • ARCHITECTURAL DECORATIONS OF THE PUNTA DE L'ARENAL
        • THE ATZÚBIA SITE
        • THE MINYANA SMITHY
      • Translations archive
      • Quaderns: Versión castellana >
        • 1. La Romanización en las tierras de Xàbia
        • 2. Xàbia en la Modernidad
        • 3. La prehistoria de Xàbia y su entorno
      • Quaderns: English versions >
        • 1. Romanisation of Xàbia
        • 2. Xàbia in the Modern Era
        • 3. The Prehistory of Xàbia and its surroundings.
    • Catálogo de castillos regionales >
      • Castells / Castillos / Castles - Intro
      • Castillo de Aielo de Rugat
      • Castillo de Alcalá (Benisili)
      • Castillo de Borró
      • Castillo de Carbonera
      • Castillo de Castalla
      • Castillo de Chio /Xiu (Llutxent)
      • Castillo de Enguera
      • Castillo de Montesa
      • Inventario
    • Exposició - Castells Andalusins >
      • Intro - Valenciá
    • Exposición - Castillos Andalusíes >
      • Intro - Castellano
    • Exhibition - Islamic castles >
      • Intro and menu - English
    • Sylvia A. Schofield - Libros donados
    • Mejorar la entrada/improve the entrance >
      • Proyecto - fotos
      • Cartel Roll-up
  • Historia y enlaces
    • Historía de Xàbia >
      • Els papers de l'arxiu, Xàbia / los papeles del archivo
      • La Cova del Barranc del Migdia
      • El Vell Cementeri de Xàbia
      • El Torpedinament del Vapor Germanine
      • El Saladar i les Salines
      • La Telegrafía y la Casa de Cable
      • Pescadores de Xàbia
      • La Caseta de Biot
      • Castell de la Granadella
      • La Guerra Civil / the Spanish civil war >
        • Intro - La Guerra Civil / the Spanish civil war
        • El refugi de la guerra del moll de Xàbia
        • l'Arquitectura de la Guerra a Xàbia
        • Planos - Refugi Moll
    • History of Xàbia (English articles) >
      • The Castle of Granadella
      • Ermita del Pòpul - a brief history
      • Telegraphy and the Casa del Cable
      • Civil war architecture in Xàbia
      • Cemetery of San Joan
      • Cova del Migdía
      • Quintus Sertorius - the "Braveheart" of Hispania
    • Charlas y excursiones / talks and excursions >
      • Fotos de actividades
      • Expo Iran - MARQ
      • La Illyeta dels Banyets
      • Al Azraq
      • La Pilota Valenciana
      • Pla de Petracos
      • Cova del Comte - Pedreguer
    • Investigacions del museu - Museum investigations
    • Enllaços
    • Enlaces
    • Links
  • Social media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • You Tube
  • Visitas virtuales
    • Museu de Xàbia
    • Iglesia de San Bartolomé
    • Capella Santa Anna
    • Ermita de Santa Llúcia
    • Ermita de San Joan
    • Santuario de la Mare de Déu dels Àngels
    • Ermita del Popul
    • Ermita del Calvario
    • Casa tradicional l'Escaldá
    • Casa tradicional Carrer Nou
  • Tenda Tienda Shop
    • Souvenirs
    • Llibres / libros / books

CAVE PAINTINGS (ARTE RUPESTRE) 

PictureCopy of Panel 1 - Cova del Migdía. Possibly an idol.
The most important examples of prehistoric art in Xàbia are in a cave in the Migdia ravine (Cova del Migdía) located on the cliffs of the southern slopes of the Montgó mountain at an altitude of about 375 metres above sea level. It was discovered by chance in 1989 when members of the Gata Caving Group were training there.
​
The cave entrance is towards the east, about 10 metres above the slopes of the foot of the mountain, from here a narrow gallery runs west for some 25 metres, ending in the cave where the paintings were found. This spacious chamber, open to the outside, is about 7 metres wide, with a maximum height of 4 metres.

The group of paintings has been divided into 10 panels with different motifs and varied states of preservation. These Migdia paintings belong to the style known as ‘Schematic Art’ in which only the basic elements of each figure are represented. This style is relatively common in the Marina Alta and covers a period of nearly 4000 years, between the 5th and the 1st millennia BC.

Most of the designs in the Migdia cave were painted in an intense black while a rather faded red was used only for parallel lines and odd spots which are difficult to interpret.

There are all sorts of motifs: fingerings, bars, dots, triangles, diamonds, wavy lines, zig-zags, star shapes, pectiniforms (comb like), zoomorphic (animal-like) and anthropomorphic (human-like) shapes, and others which are more challenging to define. In some cases, the motifs appear to form groups which need to be interpreted together. Accordingly, the group on the north wall, including an anthropomorphic figure, possibly an idol with eyes, seems to represent a scene from a cult with religious, probably funereal, significance.

Another interesting motif is a globular shape like a bag or net, and flat on top. A cross and other marks nearby appear to be part of this group. The similarities of the group to a net or trap, or maybe even a hive, fits in with the location of the painting, which is in a hole in the ceiling of the cave. Some people have seen this shape as an idol with eyes, with parallels in portable art. Other scenes are easier to interpret, such as the herd of four-footed running animals.

The cave was also a burial chamber. There were at least three burials here (two adults and one child) and each had grave goods buried with them: a vessel of handmade pottery, a small blade and an arrowhead, both of flint. These remains allow us to date the burials to the 2nd half of the 3rd millennium BC.

​There are other archaeological sites in Xàbia which contain remnants of wall paintings, but these are less important and very poorly preserved. One such is the Abric del Pastor (Shepherd's shelter) on the Montgó, where there are several spots and some traces of red paint. Remains of red paintings in the "Schematic" style have also been found in the upper and lower Coves Santes (Holy Caves) on the Cap de Sant Antoni.

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
    • Qui Som?
    • ¿Quienes Somos?
    • About Us
    • Calendario
    • Actas
    • Assemblea anual 2022
  • Blogs
    • Activitats
    • Actividades
    • Activities
    • Museu de Xàbia Blog
  • Projectes
    • Premio de Investigación - Formularios de Inscripción
    • Traducciones Translations >
      • DISPLAY PANELS - GROUND FLOOR >
        • THE STONE AGES - PALAEOLITHIC, EPIPALAEOLITHIC AND NEOLITHIC
        • CAVE PAINTINGS (ARTE RUPESTRE)
        • CHALCOLITHIC (Copper) & BRONZE AGES
        • THE IBERIAN CULTURE (THE IRON AGE)
        • THE IBERIAN TREASURE OF XÀBIA
        • THE ROMAN SETTLEMENTS OF XÀBIA
        • THE ROMAN SITE AT PUNTA DE L'ARENAL
        • THE MUNTANYAR NECROPOLIS
        • ARCHITECTURAL DECORATIONS OF THE PUNTA DE L'ARENAL
        • THE ATZÚBIA SITE
        • THE MINYANA SMITHY
      • Translations archive
      • Quaderns: Versión castellana >
        • 1. La Romanización en las tierras de Xàbia
        • 2. Xàbia en la Modernidad
        • 3. La prehistoria de Xàbia y su entorno
      • Quaderns: English versions >
        • 1. Romanisation of Xàbia
        • 2. Xàbia in the Modern Era
        • 3. The Prehistory of Xàbia and its surroundings.
    • Catálogo de castillos regionales >
      • Castells / Castillos / Castles - Intro
      • Castillo de Aielo de Rugat
      • Castillo de Alcalá (Benisili)
      • Castillo de Borró
      • Castillo de Carbonera
      • Castillo de Castalla
      • Castillo de Chio /Xiu (Llutxent)
      • Castillo de Enguera
      • Castillo de Montesa
      • Inventario
    • Exposició - Castells Andalusins >
      • Intro - Valenciá
    • Exposición - Castillos Andalusíes >
      • Intro - Castellano
    • Exhibition - Islamic castles >
      • Intro and menu - English
    • Sylvia A. Schofield - Libros donados
    • Mejorar la entrada/improve the entrance >
      • Proyecto - fotos
      • Cartel Roll-up
  • Historia y enlaces
    • Historía de Xàbia >
      • Els papers de l'arxiu, Xàbia / los papeles del archivo
      • La Cova del Barranc del Migdia
      • El Vell Cementeri de Xàbia
      • El Torpedinament del Vapor Germanine
      • El Saladar i les Salines
      • La Telegrafía y la Casa de Cable
      • Pescadores de Xàbia
      • La Caseta de Biot
      • Castell de la Granadella
      • La Guerra Civil / the Spanish civil war >
        • Intro - La Guerra Civil / the Spanish civil war
        • El refugi de la guerra del moll de Xàbia
        • l'Arquitectura de la Guerra a Xàbia
        • Planos - Refugi Moll
    • History of Xàbia (English articles) >
      • The Castle of Granadella
      • Ermita del Pòpul - a brief history
      • Telegraphy and the Casa del Cable
      • Civil war architecture in Xàbia
      • Cemetery of San Joan
      • Cova del Migdía
      • Quintus Sertorius - the "Braveheart" of Hispania
    • Charlas y excursiones / talks and excursions >
      • Fotos de actividades
      • Expo Iran - MARQ
      • La Illyeta dels Banyets
      • Al Azraq
      • La Pilota Valenciana
      • Pla de Petracos
      • Cova del Comte - Pedreguer
    • Investigacions del museu - Museum investigations
    • Enllaços
    • Enlaces
    • Links
  • Social media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • You Tube
  • Visitas virtuales
    • Museu de Xàbia
    • Iglesia de San Bartolomé
    • Capella Santa Anna
    • Ermita de Santa Llúcia
    • Ermita de San Joan
    • Santuario de la Mare de Déu dels Àngels
    • Ermita del Popul
    • Ermita del Calvario
    • Casa tradicional l'Escaldá
    • Casa tradicional Carrer Nou
  • Tenda Tienda Shop
    • Souvenirs
    • Llibres / libros / books