PREHISTORIC CAVE PAINTINGS DISCOVERED USING DRONES IN SPAIN DATE BACK 7,000 YEARS

Sat 17 June 2023:

In the east of Spain, archaeologists used drone technology to find prehistoric paintings that had been hidden in difficult-to-reach caves.

According to a statement made by a team at the University of Alicante in Spain, researchers were able to obtain evidence of never-before-seen cave drawings that date back to 5,000–7,500 years ago with the aid of drones. The Spanish scientific journal Lucentum published the archaeologists’ findings last month.

Rock paintings in a cave in Penáguila, Alicante. EFE

The project enabled inspection of places that would have otherwise required “opening complex access routes climbing,” according to the statement.

The team stated that they were able to find their first results in just a few days after they started flying the drones in a quarry in the Penàguila municipality in Alicante.

“This area is well known for housing numerous groups with prehistoric art,” stated lead author Francisco Javier Molina Hernández, who is also an archaeologist at the University of Alicante, in the statement.

With the help of drones, researchers were able to gather evidence of never-before-seen cave paintings which date back to 5,000- 7,500 years ago, as per a statement issued by a team at the University of Alicante, Spain. The findings of the archaeologists were published last month in the Spanish scientific journal Lucentum.

The Penáguila caves where Neolithic paintings have been found Rutas de Alicante.

The project made it easy to inspect the areas which could otherwise be reached only by “opening complex access routes climbing,” read the statement.

The team stated that they were able to find their first results in just a few days after they started flying the drones in a quarry in the Penàguila municipality in Alicante.

Barranco de Penáguila en Alicante

Penáguila ravine in Alicante LV.

“Secondly, the discovery of new cave paintings in this type of cave indicates that prehistoric man developed sophisticated means of climbing, perhaps by means of ropes or wooden scaffolding,” Molina said.

“They may have taken these risks to reach certain caves due to their relation to the sunrise or visual control of certain territory,” he stated.

“Next up, the team plans to use more powerful drones to take higher quality images and expand their research to other areas of Spain, Portugal and other parts of Europe,” Molina stated.