The Upper Paleolithic of Valencia Province (Spain)

[page-n-7]
SYLVIA ARMBRUSTER
( EE. UU. )

The Upper Paleolithic of Valencia
Province (Spain) •

INTRODUCTION

Acceptance of a '?oleolithic date for the pointed caves of the
Francocontabrion area and numerous finds of beautiful paintings
in the rock shelters of Valencia Province in the early part of this

century gave rise to a flood of interest in Spanish prehistory. More
recently, however, Spanish prehistory hos been practica lly neglected by "foreign" investigators. Little attempt has been mode to
correlate the finds of the Upper Paleolithic of Valencia Province
with similar f inds in the rest of Europe, Africo, or the Near East.
The lack of unde rstanding and coordination of the Upper Paleolithic of Valencia Province into the general scheme may be attri buted to neglect - neglect caused by the international situation
of the lost t wenty years- and to the fact that investigators are
busy elsewhere.
A study of the Upper Paleolithic of Valencia Province needs no
justification: Its geographical position alone makes it of prime
. importance in the study of prehistory, and the extraordina ry and
unique finds mode there in the lost thirty yeors make such a study
mandatory.
This paper cannot pretend to be an exhaustive treatment of the
subject. It is based on certain supplementary work which wos corried out at the cave o f Porpo1l6 in the summer of 1958, at wh ich
I wos privileged to assist, together with reading of some of the

$
A resume of her Moster of Arts thesis 1959 in 'he Faculty of Politicol
Science of Columbia University.

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S. ARMBRUSTER

Spanish material, particularly publications of the Servlcio de Investigaci6n Prehistorico of Valencia and other Spanish sources .
To clarify the terminology employed by Spanish prehistorians
(for myself as well as the reader), 1 have had to refer to the "clas sic" French definitions ~this accounts for the rather long chap
ter called /lA Recapitulation of Some Classic Definitions", To coordinate the Upper Poleolithic of Valencia Province into 0 general
scheme of the Upper Poleolithic, we must hove terms and concepts
which are comparable. The work of definition will probably have
to be done again and again am again ---but a beginning has been

mode .
Finally, I offe r no new terminology or hypothesis of my own .
I hove gathered together 0 few of the outstanding focts of the
Upper Paleolithic of Valencia Province to make them available to
the Engl ish -speaking reader, because curiously, we are generally
ill-informed or non -informed concerning the work being done there

CHAPTER I

EARLY ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION
IN VALENCIA PROVINCE
Intellectual speculation concerning sporadic tinds of s tone tools
which appeared to be made by men is ' found as early in Spain as
in the rest of Europe. As early as 1534 the Valencion chronicler
Pedro Anton Beuter pointed out that certain artifacts found in
Arag6n seemed to be mode of stone but in the manner of iron
weapons. I t has been pointed out that Spanish conquistadores and
missionaries were bringing back finds of stone, obsidian, and other
materials, and Spanish scholars were able, therefore, to make these analogies . "With the discovery of America, the conquistadores
and missionaries brought back weapons of obsidian and other hard
stone, used by the Indian,;, and compared them with the European
"ceraunias" . Scholars were probably aware of these comparisons,
ond Beuter may have been influenced in this way." {I)
As early as 1845-46 excavation of Neolithic sites hod begun
in Valencia, and from the middle of the nineteenth century on,

(1) N. P. GOMEZ SERRANO: "Contribucion al estudia de 10 prehistoria volenciono" , Anales del Centra de Cultura Valenciana, IV. 8 , Valencia , 1944 , p6gino 36.

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THE UPPER PALEOLtTHIC OF VALENCIA

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the rote of excavation stead ily increased. In the next few decades
Don Santiago Moreno excavated sites near Alicante, classified as
Mesolithic and Neolithic, and as early as 1880, D. Aureliano Iba rra publ ished a large work in which were described and illustrated
many objects characteristic of the beginning of Elche, which were
classified as Mesolithic (2).
The Spanish geologist Juan Vilanova y Piera should not be n eglected in a sketch of the history of the prehistory of Spain, Valencia, or of Europe. He was born and grew up in Valencia, and
made his contributions to the prehistory of Valencia ,Province as
well as to Spain. He began excava t ing in Cordova in 1867, sending
his finds to the Archaeologica l Museum which had just been foun ded there. From 1869 on he attended every important Congress
of Prehistory in Europe. During his lifetime Vilanova was professor
a t two universities, Oviedo and Madrid. Ip 187 1 he published hi s
Orig en, naturalezQ y Qnti~ue dQd del hombre. 0 resume of Spanish
prehistory up to that time. In this work, Vilanovo classified thp
periods of prehistory os Paleolithic, Archoeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron . In this early work, Vilonova said there
was no Paleolithic in the Spanish Peninsula but classified San Isi dro in Modrid and the Valencion sites of Parpal10, Covo Negro,
San Nicolos and Les Maravelles os belonging to what he called
the Archaeolithic (3) .
Vilonova was mainly responsible for the formation of the first
scientific society for the study of preh istoric man in Valencia Pro vince, the Soci edad Arqueol6gica Valenciana, which was founded
in 1871. Vilonovo was interested in all of the prehistory of man,
not only in the Paleolithic. It was mainly due to his efforts that
the so~called Eneolithic period was placed in the classifications of
Spanish prehistory, the Eneolithic being based on evidence found
in Spain of axes of pure copper rather than bronze. And, therefore, the Eneolithic represented, he claimed, on Age of Copper thot
hod existed before the Age of Bronze.
Vilonova's name appears frequently in the literature of the
prehistory of Europe because it was he who championed the authen ticity of the paintings discovered at Altamira . When, in 1903 ,
Juan Cabr'~ began to discover the Levantine art, the rock paint ings so different from that of Fronco-cantabrion art, 0 great impe -

(2) J. VILANOVA Y PIERA y J. de D. DE LA RADA Y DElGADO: "Hisria de Espoiio", Madrid, 1894, peg. 419.
(3) N. P. GOMEZ SERRANO: Op. cit. nate 1, p. 6 0 .

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s. ARMBRUSTER

was given to the discovery of more and more rock paintings in
the rock shelters of Valencia Province.
In 1913, with the assistance of the Institute of Human Paleon tology in Paris, Brewil undertook the systematic investigation of
she lte rs containing paintings in the Spanish Levant. He visited
mony sites, as well as the cove of Porpoll6, where he found amongst
other thi ngs 0 small plaque of limestone engraved with the head
of Q lynx, which mode him believe that thi s site might be important (4). In visiting Porpollo, and other Valencian sites such as
Bunal, Bocoirente and other sites near Gandio (Valencia), Breuil
was investigating leads furnished by Vilanova, amongst others.
Breui1 considered the site of Parpallo a very important one, ond
asked and received permission from the Junta Superior de Excovaciones to excavate the cave. But World War I intervened. Breuil
could not carry out his intended excavation, and the cave of Porpolio remained unexplored, except for preliminary work dane by
Vilanova (and t he fortunately slight disturbance caused by the
treasure hunter Bernarda Castello) until 1929 (5).
In Valencia Province during the nineteenth century a number
of caves were excavated, or rather, opened. Among these were the
Cuevo de San Nicol6s (Olleria), Cueva de Reca (Orihuela), Cava
Negra (Jativa), Les Maravelles (Gandia), Parpallo (Gandia), etc.
Bu t "almost all the data has been lost to sc ience" (6). The excavations in Valencia Province were sporadic, and there was almost
no connection between the work of the Sociedod Arqueologico Valenciana and that of enthusiastic individuals (7). To answer some
of the needs of the investigators, the Loboratorio de Arqueologia
was founded at the University of Valencia in 1924.
Systematic study of the prehistory of Valencia started with the
creation of the Servicio de Invesligacion Prehistorica in 1927 by
Isidro Ballester Tormo, who together with Luis Pericot Gorcia, may
be called the founders of the Valencian School of Prehi story (8).
The S. I. P. ond the Museo de Prehistoria are now the backbone
of investigation of the prehistory of Valencia Province (9). BallestU5

(4) N. P. GOMEZ SERRANO: Op. eit. note 1, p. 72.
(5) l. PERI(OT GARCIA: "lo Cuevo del Porpoll6. Gondio". Madrid, 1942 ,
pagino 16.
(6) N. P. GOMEZ SERRANO: Op. eit. nale 1, p. 51 If.
(7) N. P. GOMEZ SERRANO: Op. cit. note 1, p. 76.
(8)
D. FLETCHER VALLS: "Estodo ocluol del es tudio del Polealitico y Mesolilico valencianes". Rev. de Archives, Bibliolecas y Museos, LXII , 3, Madrid, 1956 ,
p6gina 841.
(9)
N. P. GOMEZ SERRANO: Op. eit. nOle 1, p, 77.

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THE UPPER PALEOLlTHIC OF VALENCIA

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ter's avowed purpose in 1927 was the excavation of Valencian si ~
tes. Pericot become professor at t he Universi ty of ValenCia in
1927; the S. I. P. was crea ted 0 few weeks after hi s arrival in Vo lencia . With the full cooperation of Ballester, Pericot began to ex cavatePorpallo in the sum mer of 1929, and excavating cam paings
were carried on in 1930 and 1931. Systematic ond scientific exca vation may be said to have begun with the work of Pericat at Par po lio.
Th e resul ts obtained at Parpall6 make this si te the backbone
for the study of the Upper Paleolithic of Valencia Prov ince. Excel ~
lent publication of the results, t he geographical location at the cave
as 0 possible cente r or recep tor of cul tura l influences from both Eu ~
rope and Africa, mor"e than twenty feet of human debri s denoting
long occupation (wihtout steri le layers), the absence of "cold"
fauna, these are some of the reasons that ,make this site 0 very
important one far the study of the Upper Polealithic in E.urape.
The extraordinary "a rrowheads" found in th e Solutrean level, and
the fact that a Cramagnan skull was also found at the Solutreon
level make this site unique.
Parpall6 is, a f course, not the only site excavated by the S.t. P.
Fletcher discusses the finds a t fift een sites which ore impor tant in
a study o f the Paleali thic os a whole (IO).
Later on I shall compare the finds made at several of the caves .
The occupation layers are by no means uniform . For example, the
cove of Les Mallaetes and the cave of Parpall6 are approx imately
three kilometers apart and were presumably occupied at the same
time. Yet the s trata at Parpall6 might be called Gravettian, Solu trean, and Magdalenian I, 11, Il l, and IV, while the strata at Les
Mallaetes show a Gravettian, a Salu trean, and what Pericot has
called on Epi gravettian, deno ting the absence of any Magdolenion,
Such conte mporary da ta is extrem ely important fo r 0 study of Upper Paleolith ic cultures.
CHAPT ER 1I

GEOLOGY : PALEONTOLOGY : DATING

I cannot attempt to give t he detailed geology of Spoin or o f
Valencia Province here . This is a task far special ists. But a general
outline of whot is known obou t the geology of Va lencia Province
(ID)

D. FLETCHER VALLS: Op. cit. note 8, pp. 84 1 H.; sce fig. I (mop).
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S. ARMBRU$TER

is helpful and necessary for the task of coordinating its prehistory.
According to Pericat, Obermaier systematized what was known
abou t the prehistory of the Spanish Peninsula (11). Obermaier ac-

cepted the four glacia l epochs elaborated by Penck, namely, Gunz,
Mindel, Ris5, and Wi..irm, and the interglacial periods. By personal
investigation he showed t hat glaciers hod existed in many parts
of the highlands of Spoin and found evidence of four gradations

on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees. During the Pleistocene there appears to hove been some volcanic activity in the center of
Spain and a lso in the province of Gerona. But in the province of
Valencia there appears to have been no g lociat ion or volcanic acti vity (12). According to Obermoier also, "The list of Spanish fauna
consists almost exclusively of representatives of moderate or worm
climates. T he so-called "cold" fauna which PlOYS such an important port in other regions ore found here on ly in the north ot the
peninsula. Even there they are of infrequent occurrence nor it is
likely t hat later investigations will greatly change the present
known limits of their distribution. T he principal route of these
northern types was the narrow strip of th e Pyrenees, by which the
mammoth, woo ll y rhinoceros, and reindeer mode th ei r way into
Catalonia. Another route lay along the coast of Gascony toward the
Basque Province" (13) .
Because of the lack of "cold" fauna, it is not only d iffi cult, but
often impossible to determine the age of m any of t he Spanish sites, especially t hose belong ing to the close of the Paleolithic, since
the species found t here ore still existing in the same region.
T hrough all the glacial and intergl acial stages, horses, wild oxen,
stag, roe deer, wild boor, ibex, and rabbit, as well os bears, hyenas,
fel ines, and wolves, lived in the center and eastern parts of Spain
(14) . Some of these temperate fauna are represented on the engraved and painted plaques of the Upper Poleolithic of Valencia,
os we shall see.
According to Pericot, none of the earliest types of human beings have been found in the Spanish Peninsula. Several examples
of Neanderthal m an have been found in Spa in os well as in Valen(11) L. PER1COT GARCIA; "Historio de Espofio", vol. I, Borcelono, 1958,
;XIQino 33.
(12) L. PERICOT GARC IA: Op. cif. note 11.
(13) H. OBERMAIER: "Fossil Mon in Spoin", Irons. Christine D. Motthew,
with on Introduction by Henry Foirfield Osborn, Published for the Hispanic Society
:If Americo, by Yole Ur-iversity P'ess, New Hov"n , 1925, p. 14<).
(14) 11. OBERMA1EI... Op. cif. note 1:3, pp. 150 ond 153.
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THE UPPER PALEOLlTHtC OF VALENCIA

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cia Province. A Cromognon skull of a young womon was found in
the Solutreon level in Porpoll6 as has been mentioned (15).
It need not be stressed here how complicated is the question
of dating in European prehistory, even where there is marked differentiation between "warm" and "cold" fauna, and glacial and
interglacial periods. In the Near East where there ore numerous
radiocarbon dotes, authorities ore not wholly agreed on their vali dity and interpretation. In the Near East, too, where geochronological data have been relatively well studied, it has been stated:
"Unfortunately the geochronological details of Pleistocene events
in the Near East may not yet be directly equated with those of
Western Europe, save in a most general way" (16).
I knaw of no radiocarbon dates for the Valencian Upper Pa leolithic. Pericot assigns 0 tentative date of ca. 50,000 B. C. for
the beginning of the ' Upper Paleolithic. (Terminology will be the
subject of the next chapter) . Pericot's tentative chronology (17)
follows:

10,000 B.C.
Magdolenian V, VI - Epigravetto-Capsian
Magdolenion Ill, IV Epigravettian
Magdolenion I, 11 - Epig rovettion

20,000
Upper Solutreon - Gravettian II1
Solutrean - Gravettian 11
Protosolutrean - Gravettian 11
Aurignacian I -- Gravettion

50,000
How difficult the problem of ·the doting of the Valencian Upper
Palea!ithic is, and how little corre lation there is between Spanish
prehistory and that of the rest of Europe can be seen from the following quotation from Zeuner (18):
During the maximum of the LGI 1-2 (the period between the 1SI ond 2nd
phases of the lost glaciotion) the Solutreon intrudes inlO Ihe Aurignocion sequence. It h'.ls been sUp;)Osed Ihol Ihe Solutreon spread wesl from Hungory, but
Ihe greet thickness of the stroto contoining Solutreon at PorpoUo in S;xlin moy
compel one to modify the traditional view. This site cannot yet be correloted
with one of the phoses of the lost glaciation. It the thickness of the deposits
means long duration and not merely 0 fast rote of sedimentation, the Solulreon
(15) S. ALCOBE: "El cr6neo de Porpoll6", Serie de Trabajos Varios del S.
I. P. de Volencia, nUm. 6, 9. 39.
(16) R. J. BRAIDWOOO: "Near Eostern Prehistory", SCience, CXXVlt, n.O
3312'(1958), 1419.
j 17) l. PERICOT GARC IA: "La Espana Primitiva". Barcelona, 1950, p. 355.
(18) F. E. ZEUNER: "Doting the Post" 2nd. cd., London 1950, pp. 294-296.

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S. ARMBRUSTER

8

would appear 10 hove occupied 0 somewhot longer period of time lnon is s... gges led by The evidence from north of th e Pyrenees.

The following scheme from Zeuner is useful for comparison ( 19) .
Zeuner's
Radiation Date
in Years B. P.

Phase

D uration

in Years

22,000

Time since LG1, phose 3
LGI , phose 3, climax

22,100 (55" N.)
25,000 (65' N.)
72,000
115,000

LGI, phase 2, climax
LGI, phose 1, climax

In an unpublished article entitled "Radiocarbon Dates and Po
loeolithic Archaeology in Central and W estern Europe", Movius
has attempted a new chronological scheme based on the available
radiocarbon da t es. As is well known, the dating schemes of Movius
and Zeuner do not coincide. In addition, th~ ir terminology differs.
It is beyond the scope of this paper to reconcile these differences,
os they ore based on different interpretations o f geologica l data .
Briefly stated, Movius employs the terminology Early, Main , and
Late Wurm for the several phases of the last glaciation, but with
different emphasis. Movius' Earl y Wurm = Wurm I, Main Wurm:
Early Phose
Wurm 11, Main Wurm: Late Phase
Wurm Ill ,
and his Late Wurm apparently fall s outside the period here tofore
considered as part of the last glaciation.
According ta Movius the Perigordian, in France, begins ca.
39,950 B. C. with the Gottweig Interstadial (Wurm 1-11 Interstadial). The Aurignacian begins cd': 28,720 B. C. with the Main
Wurm: Early Phase (Wurm 11). Th e Prota-Solul rean begins co.
20,000 B. C. and the Solutrean lasts until 11.500 B. C. The Magdalenian begins ca. 11,500 B. C. and lasts to ca. 8,000 B. C. In
evaluating this chronology it must be stressed again that most of
the dates hove been obtained from geological phenomena, not from
Upper Paleolithic sites.
In spite of the confusions 0 clearer chronological pic ture is be ginning to emerge from work of this kind. The opinions of Peficot
and Movius would appear to concur in assigning a t ime span of
roughly 50,000-8,000 B. C. to the Upper Paleolithic . As for the 501utrean, which has been such a difficult problem, as we have se~n
in the quotation from Zeuner, Movius' da tes indicate that "i t
seems likely that the majar portian of the Solutreon covers a span
nearly 6,000 years in duration, while the Upper Salutrean and the

=

(19)

=

F. E. ZEUNER: Cp. cit. note 18, p. 145.

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THE UPPER PALEOUTHIC OF VALENCIA

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entire Mogdolenian c;!evelapment apparently took place dur ing on
interval only 4,000 years long" (20).
ro summarize the geological, paleontological, and doting ma terial, we con only repeat that during t he Upper Paleoli t hic there
appears to hove been no glaciation and no Quaternary fauna in
Valencia Province, and these focts, together with the complete
lock of any radiocarbon dotes make ·the problem of coordinating
the Valencian Upper Poleolithic with that of the rest of Europe
extremely complex .
CHAPTER I11
A RECAPITULATION OF SOME CLASSIC OEFINITIONS

What do we mean when we say that the levels of human habi tation at Parpall6 ore Gravettian, Solu treanl and Magdalenian I,
11, I I I, IV, wh ile the same levels at Les Mallaetes, presumably con temporaneous, show a Gravettian, a Solutrean, and on Epigrovettion? The terms as used generally are by no means clear to the
specia list, and to t he student they ore often confusing beyond reason.
I had orig inally intended to supply drawings for 011 the imple ments mentioned here and in the d iscussion which follows. Drawings and descriptions available in the Engl ish language ore mostly
inadequate: One side only is usually shown, generally without plan
or section; scale is often omitted. The resu lt is that the student,
or educated layman, is often hord put to it to discover where the
cutting edge or business end of 0 g iven implement is. However, 0
comple te set of drawings would extend the present s~clion out of
proport ion. Mme. D. de Sonneville Sordes' definitions, descriptions
and drawings of t he flint implements of the Upper Paleotithic in the
Bullet in de la Societe Prehistori'!.ue Fran!ja ise for 1953, 1954,
1955, 1956, fills port of the long -felt need, although not in the
English longuoge.
This section is on attempt to clarify some of the terms, and
involves a recapitulation of som e of the classicol definitions. Definitions in the English language ore particularly scarce, and even
obscure rather than clarify the situation. It is for tha t reason that
I begin wi th 0 chart from Movius (21).
(20) H. l. MOVIUS: "Radiocarbon Dotes and Poloeolith ic Archaealagy in
Cen tral and Western Eurape" (unpublished manuscript), pp. 3 If., 17, 19 and 29.
(21) H. l. MOVIUS: "Old Warld Prehistary: Palealithic", Anthropalogy Today, ed. A. l. Kraeber, Chicago, 1953, p. 172, table 1.

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Bfeuil's
Classification

Peyrony's Classification

Gaffed's
Classification

o
AUrignacion

Perigordian
~-~~~~~~~~ ~~

Fon t Robe,t
Stage

-.-~~

V.-Bone points with simpll! beveled
base.

V.- Tanged points; leallike pain ts;
Naa ilfes burin$.

Upper
Auri gnacio n

.

Grovettian
Stage

IV._ Grovette;:loin ts; small backed blades; fema le statuett es.

IV.- Bane points with biconicol sec ti on.
III.- Bene poin ts with oval sectio n.
~

",

>
~

~
~

~

111._ Truncated or obliquely backed
blades; backed blodes of miscellaneous type.
Middle
Aurig nocian

II.-Bone points with diomond shoped
section; steep scrape's.

Aurignocion
II .--Chotelperronion points (evolved
types); blode$ whilh inverse retouch.

I.- S;:llit base bon~ points; steep ond
carinated scrapers.

~~ ~~~~~-

Lower
Aurignocian

Chalelperranian

I.--Chatelperronian points (basal
Perigordlon).

~

•

c

~

m

~

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THE UPPER PALEOllTHIC OF VALENCIA

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Henriette Alimen's char t, though 0 simplification of Breu il, gives 0 much be t ter picture at the industries of ston e and bone with
which we are concerned in the Au rignacion . Alimen presents olso
a second cha r t which shows Peyrony's subdivision into Perigordian

and Au rignacian, but she s tores that "because of t he ru le o f priority accepted in all the bronches of the natural sciences, I hove
conserved the term Aurignacian in its original mean ing" (22).

Bone

Stone Industry

Font Rob er! point
Va rio us burins ( bee - de -flute, prisma tic,
polyhedral, Nooilles).
Gravcttion point.

Uppe r
Au rignocion

Grovettion

Middle
Aurlgna~ion

-

Classic

Aurignoci o n point
wi th split bose

Burin bllsque.
Ca ri na te d scrapers.

Aurignacion

Lower
Aurignacian
- Chatelperranian

Ch:lteberranian paint.
Abri A ... di paint.

•

T he Cha te lperronian is not found in the Upper Paleol ithic of
Valencia Province. T he lowest Upper Poleolithic occupation leve ls
of such coves as Porpall6, Les Mallaetes and Barronc Blanc hove
been classified os Gravettian (with Aurignocian elemen ts).
Professor Almogro states that the term "Perigordian" in the
sense of 0 "culture" was used in Spain 10 design ate certain Spa nish Upper Po leol it hi c materia ls, bot h by Dr. Peri cot and hims~ lf ,
a round 1940. Dr. Almagra crit ici zes the fact t hat Dr. Per icot abandoned the use of this term, preferring the term Gravettian (23).
My purpose in con t ras ting the two terms is not merely for the
sake of academic argument. In Va lencia Province such observers
as Pericot, Jord6 and Fletcher s t ress the fact tha t in certain sites
t he Gravelt ian is followed by an Epi grave t t ion (epi-, 0 Greek pref ix
m ean ing "on " or "to"), t hus indicating a con tinui ng cultural uni -

H . ALIMEN: "Atlas d e prehislaire", Paris, 1950, ~p. 150 and 151.
(13 ) M . ALMAGRO BASCH: "Es tada actual d e 10 investigacion perigordiense". Homenaje 01 Cande de la Vega del Sella, Ovicdo, 1956, p. 10.

(ll)

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S. ARMBRUSTER

ty, at least in so for as the tool-making tradition is concerned . This
will be more fully discussed in 0 later section. Here, then, our terminology has cultural implications. But what connection the Volencian Gravettian may have with the French Perigordion is sti ll
unk!1own.
Th l':! Solutrean is the next of the classical subdivisions of the
Upper Poleolithic tp be considered. The Solutreon comprises a remarkable industry in stone, bone and art work. Generally speaking,
it may be so id that wherever the typical "laurel leaf", "will ow
leaf" and shou ld ered point appear, the term Solutrean has been
applied.

The Magdalenian is t he last of the typical industries of the
European Upper Poleolithic to appear. Six levels of the Magdalenian were isolated by Sreui l in his classic article of 1912 (24).
The Magdalenian is d istinguished by an ex t raordinary industry in
bone, and a rel ative ly poor ir,dustry in stone.
Apparently, the Magdalenian is the least cantroversial of 011
the Upper Paleolithic periods (or perhaps less new work has been
done) . In 1954, as in 1912, Sreuil characterized each of the six
peripds of the Magdalenian by its typical stone and bone imple ments, and above all by its decoration on bone (25).
In Valencia Province only Magdalenian : to IV ore found .
From the preceding discussion we see tha t term s like Aurigna cion, Perigordion, Gravettion, etc., may refer to an industry, 0
chronology or 0 culture. At least so far os the industry is concerned, investigators seem agreed that in F ra~ce both Perigordion and
Aurignacian seem to underly the Solutreon. The lowest level is ca ll ed by one name by some, and another name by others. Within this
level (as well os in the superim posed levels) there has really been
no way of comparing one site with another until very recently.
Recently, F. Sordes has proposed a method for comparing stone
artifacts from various sites (26). Mme. D. de Sonneville Sordes
has attempted this method with regard to Upper Paleolithic stone

(24) H. SREurL: "Les subd iv isions du Paleolithique superieur el leu r signicOlion". Comote rendu de 10 XIV Session du Congres International d'Anthro_
pologie et d'Archeologie Prehistorique, Geneve. 1912, pp. 209 If.
(251 H. BREUIL: "Le Mogdolenien", Les grondes civilisations prehistoriques.
ParIS, 1954, po. 61 H.
(26) F. SORDES: "Principes d'une melhode d'elud e des tec hniques de de bi'age et de 10 typologie du poleolithique ancien et moyen". L'Anlhro;ologie, UV .
Paris, 1950. pp. 19- 34.
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THE UPPER PALEOllT HIC OF VALENC IA

13

implements. She has p'.Jblished a list af 92 stane implements which
she finds typical af the Upper Paleolithic (27).
Many have doubted that the bewi ldering variety of tools found
in the Upper Paleolithic con be isolated, described, named and
illustrated. "Nanetheless, it (the Sordes statistica l m ethod) offers
the o nly recou rse yet devised for onolyzing a given assemblage in
terms of its several components (28).
Confusion caused by terminology is compounded when we turn
to 0 discussion of the African or Near Eastern Upper Poleolithic.
In Africa such term s os Ateria n and Capsian ore used to denote
typology and : or chronology. Actually, relatively littl e work has
been done in Africa, but we shall need to cons ider so me points of
view os AteTian and Copsian influences may hove been o t work in
Spain.
Concerning Africa, Obermaier expre~ed hi s views as follow:
0) Early Capsian - corresponding to the Aurignacion of Eu rope.
b) Late Capsian 0 post-Auri gnacian which represents an
evolution independent of the Solu t ro-Magdalenian of Europe, but
paralle l to and sY!lchranaus with it.
Garrod assumes the Capsian to be later in time than the European Aurignacian, a nd Movius holds the same point of view (29).
Leakey equa tes t he Upper Pleistocene with the Gam bl ian Plu vial and he sees the Upper Paleoli t hic industry of Kenya as a success ion from Lower to Upper Au r ignacian (30). Garfod, quite arb itrarily, changes Leakey's Upper Aurignacian to Capsian, assumes it
later in tim e, and ther.efore feels justified in leaving it out of consideration and off her maps al logether (3\).
The Aterion culture moy be considered 0 North Africon variation of Levo ·
lIoiso-Mousterion culture complex of the Middle Poleolithic. It is chomcteri:.;ed
by ton ged pOints mod e on flakes with prepared striking ?Ia tfa rms a nd struck
Lam lor toise cores, and it seems very probable that these so-called' Aterion pOinls
were used os arrow or spear heads . .. Bifociol leaf shaped pOints, know", os S'boiIdon pOi nts ond believed 10 hav e evolved locolly from the Upper Acheulion or

(271 D. DE SONNEVILLE-BORDES and J. PERROT: "Essoi d'odaptatian des
mothodes stat is tiques au Po leali thiqu e Superieur. Premi ers res ultot s" . Bulletin de
10 Socio te Prenislorique Fran ~oise, l. Paris, 195 3, pp. 232 fI.
(28) H. L. MOVIUS: Op. cit. note 21 , p. 171.
(291 H. L. MOV IUS: "The Old Stone Age". Mon. Culture and Society, ed.
Harry L. Shapiro, New Yor k, 1956, p. 86.
(3D)
l. S. B. LEAKEY : "Stone Age Afri ca", London, 1936, p. 137.
(31)
D. A. E. GARROD: "The U~per Palealithic in Ihe Lioht of Recent
Discovery". P roceedings of Ihe Prehis toric Society, rv, n.~ I, 1938, p. 18.
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14

:vl icoqueon, triangu lar points o f Mousterion tY;le, side scropers, and scrapers
(rore), 0 few blodes, Levollo is ion flakes, d iscs and to rtoise cores comp lete the
inventory of

0

normal A t er ion ser i(:'S (32).

The chronology o t the North African Upper Poleolithic is an

extremely complicated problem. I have fel t it necessary to mention
a few of the conflicting poin t s of view because t he Question of Spa-

nish-African influences is by no means closed, and t he work ot
several Spanish invest igators centers around this point.
In the Near East on increasing number of workers and over 62

radiocarbon dates are beg inning to clarify the picture (33). BraidwO':Jd sums u p t he eviden ce for the N ear East :
Unfortunately the geochronologicol details of Pleistacene even ts in the Near
East m:Jy not yet be directly equated with those of Western Europe, save in 0
most general way. In the Near East we hove the eadiest appearance of the blade
tool tradition ..
This relatively sophisticated set of habits in the preParation of long, parallel
sided flint tools seems to hove been roughly coincident, in Europe, WIth tne
appearance of anatomically modern man ooo:!t 40.000 yen,s ego. The Palestinian ("non-classic" or "sa;:>ienized") Neonderthals may be regarded os ancestral 10 modern man and the blade tools make 0 tenta tive G;=peorance in the
Syrian and Palestinian slratigraphy even earlier than do the unspeciolized physical types. It is not imp:::ssible, therefore, tha t the general Nca r Eastcrn area
lYas the f ocu~ of differentiatio n and eventual spread of a natomically modern
m a n and of his earliest c ha ract e ristic habits in the preparat ion of" flin t too ls.
, here is little ques t ion t hot men who I~repared thei r fli nt too ls according to
the :persisting hab its of both the core-biface and flake-tool tradition had a lreody
arrived in the Near East by Mid-Pleislacene times, b ,~ t we hove so for little knowledge of their cul ture history. ReoUy early Iroces of Pleistocene man, such os hove
been found ind southern and northwestern Africa hove not been noted in the
Near East ...
If the chronology is os we expect, the early op;=earonce in southwestern Asia
of the blade tools, and with human beings with anatomical tendencies toward
modern man (at 0 time when cbssic Neanderthal man was flourishing in western
Europe) makes This area 0 focus of some inTerest. There is not, of course, compleTe agreement that either the blade too15 or anatomically modern men did first
a ppear in the area (34).

Pa rti cul a rly to be noted in Bra idwood ' s resum e ore th e fo llowing : 1) He a vo ids using the te rm s o f the French classi c def in iti ons
refe rring" ro t he r to the blad e- tool t rad ition ; 2 ) Braidwaod slates
t ha t we hove li ttl e knowledge o f the cu ltu re his tory of early man.
This is t ru e. W e m ig ht as well soy " none". It wou ld be well if we
cl arif ied ou r ob jectives in p reh istory.
In t he s tudy of prehistory we need to compare ear ly physical

(3 2 ) H . L. MOYJU$: ap. c it. no te 2 9.
(3 3 ) R. J. 6 RAJDWOOD: "Near Eas te rn Ra dio ca rbon Da les o voi loble to me ,
August I , 1956", mimeogroph ed lis t d is tribu ted at th e Fifth !nter na tio no l Cong ress for Pre· an d Pro tohis tory, Homburg, Augus t , 1958 .
(34\ R. J. BR A!DW aaD: ap. cit. note 16, PP. 1419- 142 0.

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THE UPPER PALEOUTHIC OF VALENCIA

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15

types, tool types and "cultural elem ents" from the peninsula of
Spain with the rest of Europe, with Africa, wi t h t he Near East, etc.
But we must have terms which ore comparable and methods of
comparison. In this brief resume of some of the outstanding ospects of the classical definitions used in discussing the Upper Paleolithic, I hove attempted to underscore the confusions and em phasize where new methods might be useful.
If the foregoing discussion hos been elementary, it has yel
seemed to me to be necessary, as a good deal of it is now taker:
for granted rather than understOOd . For the Upper Poleolithic et
Va lencia Province it is essen ti al that al l the terms mentioned be
understood in their context, os Spain is essentially ti ed to European
methods of investigation,
We t.urn next to a cons ideration of t he Upper Paleolithic caves
of Valencia Province,

CHA PTER IV
COMPARiSON OF SOME OF TH E CAVES
As we have seen, none af the earliest types of man appear in
the Spanish Peninsula. Gene ra lly speaking, remains of t he Lower
Paleolithic are apparently absent.
In his excellent resume of the excavations of Valencia Provin ce Fletcher has listed fifteen sites belonging to the Middle ond Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic (35). It is not my purpose to outline
here all of the fin ds made at all of the Upper Paleolith ic sites.
For purposes of compari son I should like to present th e material
from three of the Upper Pal eo lithic caves. The thre e caves probably most suitable for this purpose are the coves of Parpall6, Les
Malla etes and 8arranc Blanc. Cava Negro (J6tiva) is 0 si te classifi ed a s M iddle Paleolithic, but as it shows the transition from
Mousterian to Aurignacian, I include it here as background mater ial.
Cova Negro was excavated by the S. !'P. under t he direction of

(35) D. F:'ETCHER VALLS: Op. cit. nole 8.
E. PLA BALLESTER: "Attividades del Servicia de Investigaci6n Prehist6rica,
1946-1955". Archivo de Prehistorio Levontino, V I. Valencio, 1957, "pp. 187241, which gives a resume of excovotions carried out in many pre- ond protohistoric sites ot Volencio Province.
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16

S. ARMBRUSTER

Vines in 1928, 1929, 1931 and 1933. Work wos contin ued in 1950,
1951 and 1953 by Pericot, Ak6cer, Jord6, Pia and Fletcher. The si te
measures approximately 20 me ters long by 18 m eters wide, and although seven campaigns were devoted to its excavation, this work
has not yet been completed.
There is bedrock below this loyer ot

0

depth of approximately

5 meters.
The faunal remains of Cova Negro ore extremely interesting
and include Equ~s, Rhinocerus Merkii, Cervus Elaphu5, Bos, Felix
Pardus, and others, most of which are now extinct (36) Several
large molars hove been classified as belonging to Elephos lolensis,
and this find would appear to be useful in helping to fix 0 relative
chronology for the site.
A parietal bane af a Neanderthal individual was faund in Level
Ill. The parietal has been studied intensively and shown to be related to "Classic" Neanderthal types such as have been found at
La Chapelle-aux-Saints and Monte Circeo (37). According to Fletcher, both European and African influences seem to be confirmed
bath by physical type and the stone industry (38).
In the Upper Poleolithic, the cove of Porpol16 is the mos t im portant and best known site. As has been mentioned, excavation
began by the S.LP. under direction of Dr. Pericot in 1929.
Outside of Spain the work done at Parpall6 con hardly be said
to be unknown to prehistorians as it has been published in some
detail. However, m::mtien of the work seems to be limited to 0 few
references to the winged and tonged points found in the Solutrean.
A notable exception is V. Garden Childe (39). Cheynier has included these points in his typology of the Upper Palealithic (40).
These winged an tanged points, which look like arrow-heads,
ore of a type which had been found previously only with Neolithic
or Branze Age materials (41).
In 1942 Pericot characterized the levels at Parpall6 os:

(36) J. ROYO GOMEZ: "Relocion detall oda del moterial fosil de Cova Negra
de Sellus (Valencia)". 5erie de Trabajos Varios del 5. I. P. de Volencia, numero 6, p. 27.
(37) M. FUSTE ARA: "Parietal Neandertalense de Covo Negro f}otivo)"
Serie de Trabajos Varios del S. I. P. de Volencia, num. 17.
(38) D. FLETCHER VALLS: Cp. eit. note 8 . p. 851.
(39) V. GORDON CHILDE: "The Cove of Par;:>o1l6"·. AntiqUIty, XV III , 1944,

29 If.
(40)
A. CHEYNIER: "Feuilles de lau rier 0 eran". 8ulletin de la Societe Prehistorique Fr on~aise, L11, Paris, 1955, p. 284.
(41) V. GORDON CHILDE: Op. ci!. note 39.

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THE UPPER PAlEOLlTHIC OF VALENCIA

11

Mogd. IV
Mogd. III

Magd. 11
Mogd.
Final Solutreo-Aurignocian
Upper Solutreon
Middle Solutrean
Lower Solutreon
Upper Aurignocian (or Perigordian)

We may note that the words Aurignacian and Perigordion are
used interchangeably . Pericot states that the Abbe Breuil had suggested to him in 1932 that his Final Solutreo-Aurignocian Level
might better be called Final Levon tine Solutrean or even Porpolloan (Parpollense), but Pericot sta tes that he did not accept these
terms because even though a part icular facies of a culture might
be involved, he was opposed to the creation of a new terminology,
particularly in the cove of Parpall6, since this would lead only to
confusion, and he preferred to use the classic nom enclature (42)
More recently Pericot has called thes~ some levels:
Mogd. IV
Mogd. III
Mogd. II
Mogd.
Final Solul"reo-Gravettian.
Upper Solutreon
Middle Solutrean
Lower Solutrean
Gravettian
stress th is terminology here and have tried to explain what is
meant in the classic definitions in the previous section, because it
seems to me useful to employ the same term if we are talking
about the some thing. These terms are used to distinguish both
tool types and relative chronology. T he tool types may be seen in
the numerous illustrations and photographs of La Cueva del Por polio, and in the Museum at Valencia, where the pieces ore now.
Relative chronology is given by the clear superposition of named
levels. But here at Porpall6 we do not hove 0 Mousterion level of
occupation, nor a Chatelperronian. Human occupation begins with

(42)

L. PERICOT GARCIA: Op. cit. nOle 5, p. 41.

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s.

ARMBRUSTER

the Grovettian, and continues without interruption (without ~terile
loyers) through the first four stages of the Mogdolenion.
In the chopter V I shall attempt to give some ideo of the com ~
plexityof the material.
A Cromognon skull was found in the Lower Solutrean level at
o depth of almost seven meters (43).
Bones of animals were found strewn throughou t the cave, but
a great heap was found particularly in the west port of the moin
chomber, almost filling it and forming 0 sort of bony brecc ia joined to the wall. It was as though the occupants of the cove had
accumulated the rema ins of their meals in one part of their habi tation (44). The animals ore all of the kind inhabiting Spain at the

present time and seem not to include extinct types such as ore
found in Cava Negro.
T hroughout the levels at Parpall6 appearY plaques of stone de·
coroted with engravings and paintings of deer, boar, horses, bulls,
goats and geometrical themes.
The cove of Les Molloetes was excavated by the S.I.P. under
the direction of Dr. Pericot assisted by Jord6 in the years 1946·
1949. The cove is about three kilometers from Parpall 6 os the
crow flies, at the top of 0 hill, near the town of Borig. Par pall6 and
Malloetes lie at approximately the same elevation in the mountai·
nous area just west ut Gandia, u city where me!":'! of the famous
Valencia oranges are grown and exported. Unfortunately, there
has been no complete publication of the finds made at Mallaetes,
but Fletcher has made 0 resume. He says:
The upper level conlains Neolilhic pottery decorated wilh incisions and impressions of "Cardium" and same pieces of flint, inc1udi"Q sm~1I Iraoezoidal 5"0pes and knives with relouched backs. Th~ lower levels offer materials which may
be classified os belonging 10 on Epigrovellion below which opears 0 bifocial chipping with winged and tonged points of Parpoli6 Iyp~ ac com panied by 10url) I leaves
and little k.nives with rl)louched bock.s. Leaving the 50lulreon we find th!': Grovettian which is extremely pOor (45).

While IParpall6 and Mellaetes appear to hove been occupied
at the same time, occupat ion of Les Mallaetes appears to have occurred earlier and also to hove continued longer, i. e., into the
Neolithic .
Although excavation of Malloetes was carried on during the

(43)
(44)
(45)

L. PERICOT GARCIA: Op. cit. nole 5, p. 273 If. Md
L. PERICOT GARC IA: Op. cit. note 5, ? 268.
D. FLETCHER VALlS: Op. cil. nOle 8, p. 855.

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THE UPPER PAlEOUTHIC OF, VALENCIA

19

four years mentioned, only a small portion of the cave has been
excavated . Judging from the previous results, further excavation
may be expected to yield rich finds as well.
In contrast with the occupation levels of Parpall6 as shown
above, Mallaetes shows a Middle Aurignacian, Gravettian, Solu
trean and Epigravettian levels (46), :. e., where at Parpall6 we have
the four levels of Magdalenian, following on a Final Solutro-Grovettian, at Mallaetes we have what Pericot has characterized as
Epigravettian. By Epigravettian is meant the continuance of blunt
backed blades, notched points and a varied and interesting blade
industry il1cluding scrapers, many kinds 0f burins and trapezoidal
shaped microliths, on indu~try wh;ch lasts into the Neolithic.
Barranc Blanc is a cave about ten kilometers south of Malloe tes. I t was excavated in 1951, 1953 and 1954 by the S.l.P, under
the direction of D•. Pericot and Enrique Plo, who is now assistant
to Fletcher at the Museum of Valencia. Fletcher indicates the
finds there in the following way:
Lcycl I: Pieces wilh retouched b~ck$ appropriate 10 the Epigraveltion; bone
poin ts possible Magd alen ian.
LeyeJ 11 : Clearly defined by the $olutrean points.
Level Ill : GraveTlian materials including same examples af Ihe classic type ,
and in the lower port of the site appears a crude industry of quartz: and limestone of possible MOlJslerian tradition.
From Level I, the Epigravelljon, come po rts of several human skulls, now
in the ~ rocess of study, but we may onlicipote that one of the fronlals cOrresponds to a Cromagnan of North African type wilh analogies in Afalou. This ma terial is of great interest because it appears to confi rm co nta cts with Africa.
Another cranium has extremely heavy bones for its time, the vaul t being
dolicho-ovoide, and no very high, and il a~peo rs 10 belong to 0 very lale Mediterranean type w ith pronounced prognathism (471.

The occupation levels of both Barranc Blanc and Malloetes
may be characterized os Gravettian, Sal utrean and Epigrovettion
with hardly a trace of the abundant bone Magdalenian industry
found at Parpall6. The crude "pebble tools" shown in the lowest
level at Barranc Blanc might give more information about earl ier
human occupation if we knew more about them.
All Spanish observers agree that the marked Magdalenian industry of Parpal16 is in sharp contrast with the Epigravettian of
other sites such as Mallaetes and Barranc Blanc. This early Mogdolenion occupation in the east of Spain is also interesting because the Magdalenian I is unknown in the CO:'1tabrion region. In the

(46)
(47)

L. PERICOT GARC!A: Op. ci t. note 11, p. 52.
0, FLETCHER VALLS: Cp. cit. note 8, .... 859.
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20

s.

ARMBRUSTER

northeast of Spoin, in Catalonia, several coves near the city of Ge rona a lso show Gravettian, Solutrean (with "arrowheads") followed
by 0 Mogda\enion. But in Catalonia, closer to the supposed cent er
of the Magdolenion industry, the Magdolenion is o f the highly
evolved type, V and VI, the lower four being absent. To the
south, 0 number of coves hove been excavated, but incompletely
published. Several of these also show the high ly evolved Solutrean
typical of Porpa\\6, others show Gravettion or Epigravettion industries. A Gravettion industry is indicated os br south os Malaga
(48), onc! Mogdolenion elements seem to have penetrated as far as
Gibraltar (49).
I hove tried to indicate some of the more important caves
where Gravettian, Sa lutrean and Epigravettian or Mogdalenion im plements ore found . If these industries did not develop in Spa in,
they must hove come from somewhere. Where they may hove come
from is a matter of great interest to p~ehistory, and I shall have
m:Jre to soy at this later.
To conclude, there is abundant evidence of Neanderthal occu pation in Valencia Province, which may well be the earliest evi dence of human occupation in Spa in. Continuing excavation over
the lost thirty years has now uncovered 0 series of Upper Polealithic sites which may be directly related to the classical definitions
established. Some of these caves appear to show levels of occupation that may be called Grovettian, Solu trean and Magdalenian,
while others very near by may be characterized as Gravettian, Solutrean and Epigravettian . The very highly evolved Solutrean industry characterized by the Porpall6 "arrowheads" has been found
as far north as Gerona and extends along the entire eastern coast
of Spain. The earliest levels of the Magdolenian are found at Parpolio, while later levels app~ar to the nort h and to the south.
New finds hove caused 0 revisian of many of the older hypotheses. For exa m ple, the finds from Cava Negro are now to be
classified os Mousterian, and not Aterion, although the Ater ian
appears to have influenced th is culture. Before excavation the finds
ot Porpall6 had been thought to be Caps ian -~they have now been
related to similar finds in Europe, and their possible African relationship is still being st udied.

(48) l. PERICOT GARCIA: Op. ci t. nOle 11, pp. 4 8 . 5 2 and 53 .
(49) J. WAECHTER: "Excavations at Gorham's Cove, Gibraltar". Proceedings
of the Prehistoric Society, 19S 1, reprinted in Archiva de Prehistoria levantina.
IV, 1953, pp. 21-24.
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21

CHAPTER V
STONE AND BONE TOOLS OF VALENCIA PROVINCE

In the lost chapte r I tried to indicate very briefly some of the
finds mode at three caves of Valencia Province, namely, Porpall6,
Les Mallaetes and Barronc Blanc. The number of flint imp lements
fO'.Jnd is enormous. At Parpall6 alone Pericat has calculated that
the number af pieces of flint found is probably around 250,000,
of which he classified some 80,000 at that time. The figure af
250,000 includes implements, a great many flakes and blades
which seem to be unworked, and nu cleii . It is on odd fact that
there are no sources of flint to be found near the cove. There is 0
great variety of flint present, the colors ranging from white, pink,
brown, red and block include many shadings in between . Peri co t
feels the various colors ore probably due t.o the various source s
from which the flint came (50).
The detai ls of the excavati on of Parpall6 are given in La Cueva del Parp all6 so that I need give only some of the outstanding
facts here. The cove was laid out in sections and each section ex cavated very caref'.Jlly in laye rs of 25 centimeters. I have noted
previously that the cove contained no natural stratigraphy and
also no sterile layers by which stratigraphy might be establish ed .
Therefore, it was only after completion of excavation cnd study o f
the material s that the levels could be named. I have made up a
chart which shows the depth at wh ich the named industries were
found. Pericot describes the difficulties he had in classifying the
materials. Fa r example, he set the level between the Grovett ia n
and Proto-Solutrean at 7.25 meters, but the change in t ·~chnique
was apparent from 7.s0 meters. The same is true of the Middle
Solutrean starting at 6 .25 meters . Since I have already stated the
kind of materials found, and Pericot has detailed very well his rea sons for naming these industries as he did, there is no point in
going over this material here. I should rather like to compare the
actual materials from each of these three caves.
Probably the best way to do this would be statistically by means
of grophs, the techn ique for which has been brilliantly outlined by
F. Bordes and his wife, Mme. de Sanneville Bordes. Unfortunately,

ISO!

l. PERtCOT GARCfA: Cp. ci t. nOTe 5, p . ZB.
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22

S. ARMBRUSTER

this is no t feasible for me at the present time, although it might
be possible later because all the mate rials have been carefully pre served in the museum ot Valencia.

CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH LEVEL OF PARPALLO

G.a"ettig"
9.50 meters: The excavation went down to 9.50 meters.
Belween 8 and 9.50 meters almost nOlhing was found.
8-1.15 meters:
In flint: o. very few pi«es;
b. under rocks which appear to hove fallen and thus conserved
the material, 248 flint pieces ot 8 meters.
1.75.7.50 meters: More than 250 flint pieces induding Grovetlion points, re touched blades, single and double scrapers, 0 f"w burin ... and 0 quantity of

unused blades and flokes.
7.50-7.25 meters: More than 250 pie<:es, os obove.
In bone: 15 pieces of worked bone, 10 of them dearly "points" and many
fragments.

Lower Or P.olo_501I1treoll
7.25-6.25 meters: Between 6.50-6.25 Cromagnon cranium found.
In bone: 28 worked bone pieces, 14 of them "points".
In flint: 868 pieces. Technique of the lowe. level continues but also some
pieces show portiol or complete retouching on one or both faces.
Middle Sollltte,,"
6.25-5.25 mete.s:
In bone: 79 worked bone PIeces. Seem evolved f.om previollS, but generally
longer and finer. Includes 42 bane "points".
In flint: Approximately 10.000 pieces, inclUding "laurel leaf" and "willow
leol" worked on one or both faces. S'Baikion points. Many burins. W inged
and tonged paints (Porpolloon). Previous pratOSOlutrean and g.oveltian technique continues. Includes 86 scrapers on ends 01 blades, 23 "nucleilarm" sc.apers, 117 blades and 315 flakes between 6-6 .25 meters alone.
Upper 50111treoll
5.25-4.50 mete.s: At approximately 5.25 meters, there appears to be 0 quali tative and quantitative change in the industry of Parpallo.
In bone: 80 pieces, of which 40 "re painls.
In flint: 46 "Parpolloon" poin~, plus 10 with tong only. 231 "notched
points of Gravettian technique."
The farms of the previous levels continue: 0 portial count includes 2,053
flakes or blades not well defined , 920 crude blades, 120 well-worked blades, 71 scrapers, 62 burins, 10 "nucleiform" scrapers, etc.
Fillol 50J"tro-Groveltioll
4.50-4 meters: Decadence of Salurrean technique 15 aP?Qrent from approximately
4.75 on.
In bone: 142 pieces of worked bone.
In flint: Solulreon technique almost absent.
168 "notched points of Grovell ian technique" os in previous level. Many
other points and small retouched blades wh ich recall The Grovellion technique, but with 0 general tendency to small size, i. e., microli T
hism.
At 4.25- 4.50 meters there ore 3,729 pieces which indude 1,436 flakes, 1,626

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T HE UPPE R PALEOLlT H IC OF VALENCIA

23

crvde blades, 96 large blades, 10 small blades, 24 2 pieces which show re ta vching, 12 no tched blades, 120 scrapers of voriovs kinds, 53 burins, etc.
At 4-4.25 mete r.; there ore 3,579 pieces, of which there ore 1,616 flakes,
1,140 crude blad es, 505 large blades, 26 notched point s, 12 small blades
with re to uched backs, 42 re touc hed blades, 7 5 scrap ers of ya ria us k inds,
6 ce ntral buri ns, 100 nu cleii and approxi mate ly 50 side bur ins.
MClgdolc niCln I

4-3 .50 me ters: At a pproxim a tely 4 .0 meters there is an esse nti a l change, w1th
subs t itu tion of stone by bone in the typical industry.
In bone: At 3 .75- 4.0 meters, 101 pieces, incl uding S "points", 23 eng raved pieces, 3 1 beveled pieces, ett.
At 3.5-3.75 meters, 118 pieces, including 12 "points", 11 engraycd pieces,
27 beyeled pieces, etc.
Fla tt ened bevel (Breu il classi fica tion ) a ppea rs in both levels.
In fli nt ; N umber of pieces for less than in prev ious leyel, but sc rapers and
bur ins co nti nue . No te espccio lly steeo and cari nate d scrape rs.
MClgd o lc nion 11

3.50-2.50 meters: In bone: S64 pieces, among them 36 "points", 89 with bevel,
35 generally pointed, and others wi th rectangular, quad rangular and semicircular sectia n. 135 hove flattened sect ion, Seyeral haVe 0 longitudinal groove
One need le broke n.
SO engraved or incised pieces, of wh ich 2 6 hove a clear decorative mo t if.
In flin t: Min imum of 25,000 pieces, of wh ich Perico t gives a detai led co ur>!
and classi fi ca tian, wh ich need not be repea ted here.
MClgdol c nion III

2.50-0.8 m eters: Established by excludings bone pieces decorated in man ner
af Mogdalenian I and 11. Most extensive occupation of Ihe site.
In bone: 1,559 pieces. Many varieties of short an d long points, rods, etc.
Quad rangular or rectangular sectian . Clearly defined single beyels an 0 g rea t
number of pieces . A deep longi tudina l g roove clea rly def ined in m any. A;:lpe ora'1ce of double beyel and semicyli ndr ica l rods. 6 sewing needl es (plus 3
others? ),
In f li nt : A minimum of 4 0,000 pieces. Imprayement of technique. Techn iQue is d ifferent fr om GraYellian heo vier, cruder. Sut olsa appearance af ma ny
m icroli thic tools in t iny blades and scrapers less than 2 cm. long.
MClgdCllc niCln IV

Above O.S me ter: According ta Peri cot, "clearly defined by im plements which
hove a clea r pa rall el with th e defined French Upper Mogd a lenia n."
In bo ne: 58S p ieces including many beyeled pieces, si ngle and doubl e. Many
hov e incisio ns on the bevel.
3 ha rpoons showing incip ient barbs.
In flint : 40,000 pieces minim" m. De tai led co" nt give n, bu t no need to repeat here. Hundreds/t housan ds af flakes a nd Or blades. Hund reds of various
types of bU rins, and m ult iple burin scrapers.

Although Po rpo ll6 would appear to b e an ideal site in which
ottemp t the stati stical me t hod outl ined by Mme. Bordes, t h is is
p resent im passib le to do because 1)- t here is no com ple te count
the mater ial ; 2)- the pieces have not been nam ed in accordanwi t h Mme . Bordes' system.
However, La Cueva del Parpa116 is a pro f usely a nd well i!lusIr.a led book, and 1 have found it u sefu l to a ttempt to name some
of the p ieces shown accord ing to the Bordes' system . For exam p le,

to
at
of
ce

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29 -

[page-n-30]
S. ARMBRUSTER

30 flint implements of the nam ed "Gravettian" are illustrated in
two figures {of the more thon 500 implements faund at this level,
os I have shown above}. I hove translated the Spanish name into
its English equivalent, but I have retained the French as ind ica ted
by Mme. Sordes, together with her number, to avoid any misunderstanding. I hove compared Pericot's illustrations with Mme .
Bardes' illus trat ed, num bered and defined tool types of the Upper
Pa leoli t hic. T he char t follows:
IlIus.
Numbers

Mm!!. Bordes'
Name
Number

Nome

•

Remorks

La Cue.,a del Pa,pallii (fig. 6)

, ,
I

I

3
4

3
4

5
6

5
6

Gravellian point
Gravettion point
Scraper
Blade
Blode
Blade

Micrcgrovetle
50
Micragrovette
50
Grottair sim;:le
Grottoir oty;>iq .... e

,
,

Not exactly
Almos t identical
Almost iden tj~ol

,

La Cue.,a del Pa,pallii (fig. 7)
7

I

8

2

9

3

10

4

II

5

12

6

13

...,
8

Gravetlion point
Grovetlian point
Sm:l11 blade with retouched back
Sm~lI bla':!e with retouched bae""
5moll blade with retouched back
Small bk:d2 w;lh retouched bo~k
Small blade with reTO .... ched bock
Retauch~ bledc

Poin t de Font Yves
Microgrovet'e
Mic rogravetle
MlCrogravelle

50

Microgravelle

50

Microgravelte

9
\0
I1

Notched blade
Notch~ blade
Notch~ blade

18

12

Side burin

19

13

Side b .... rin

20

14

21
22
23
24
25

15
16
17
18
19

Scraper
Scraper
Scraper
Scraper
Scraper
Reto .... ched blade

26

20

27

21

28

22

29

23

30

24

Retouched blade
Reto .... ched blade
Retouched blade
Retouched blade
Small n .... cleus

Almos.\ identical

50

50

Microgravelle
50
lame 0 bard aballU
10101

I5
16
17

52
50

,

58

,

Piece" cran
Bur;n d'ongle s.... r
cass .... re
Burin d'angle sur
cassure
Grattair sImple
Grottoir simple
Grotlair simple
Grottair simple

57

Almost identicol
o;.maller

30
30

?
Piece .:. Ironcoture
draite
60
Piece tronquee 60-64?
Piece tranquee
Piece tronquee
Piece tronquee

?

-30-

These ore long heavy rotauched pieces.
Con not be cerlain
from i I I U slralion
whether chipping is
obrupl or non-obrupt

,

[page-n-31]
THE UPPER PALEOlITHIC OF VALENCIA

25

We have already noted tha t Mme. Bardes has grouped the im plements characteristic of the "Perigordian", t he " Pieces Cl bard
abattu et lames t ranquees ... " between the numbers 45 and 64.
And speaking o f t he "evolution of the Perigordian ", she points out
t hat it is to be characterized by 1).- on increa se of "Mul tiple
burins sur troncature", 2).- decreased size of "Grattairs", 3).increased number of "Pointes de 10 Grovette" and "Microgrovet tes", 4).- the appearance of "Burins de Noo illes" (51) .
Several useful facts emerge from the chart 1 have made of the
Gravettian material illustrated in Pericot. First, t hey con be iden tified by nam e a nd n umber in M me. Bardes' sys tem, a nd second,
most of these part icular Spanish imp lements would appear to be
Perigord ian by t heir number in the Sordes' sys tem.
T he some is true if we exam ine the few available materials
from Les Ma llaetes, as well as those from Barranc Blanc.

Lcs Mo llocles (including Grove lli an and Epigrovettian mOlerials), "Eslado ac tual
del estudio .. ". Fig. 15 cnd Figs. 12, 13.

Numbers
1
2

3

4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1I
12
I3
14
15
16

Mme. Bordes'
Nome

Mme . Sordes'
Number

53

Piece gibbeuse cl bord abo tt u
'
Pointe de 10 Grovette olypique
Grotloir simple
Microgrovette
Microgrovelle
Microgrovette
Microgrcvetle
Microgrcvelte
Micragrcvette
Micrograve Ue
Mic rog ravette
Microgravelle
M icrogrovelle

Remarks

Seems crude

49
I

50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50

;>

Grattoir sur lame ou eclol retouche

17

(51)

,

5

D. DE SONN EV ILLE-BORD ES and J. PER ROT: Op. Cif. note 27 , pp

324-330.
-

31 _

[page-n-32]
26

S, ARMBRUSTER
8D •• an~ Blanc . "Estodo act .... al del esludio

Mme. Sordes'
Number

1
2
3
4
5
6

7
8

9
10
11
12
13

Mme. Sordes'

Nome

Fig. 19

Number

MicrogroveTte
Microgrovetle
Microgravette
Microgravette
Pointc de 10 Grovette
Piece Cl retouches continues sur
Ics deux bords
Piece Cl retouches continues sur
Ics deux bards
Grottoir simple (or)
Gra1lai. otypique
Buri n d'angle sur cossure
Grottoi. sur lome DU eclat retouche

,

,
,

Remarks

50
50
50
50
48

66
66
1 or 2 seems crude

30

5
Pebble IDOls from

lowest level.
May not be Upper

Poleolithic.

With respect to Mme. Bordes' criteria for the evolution of the
Perigordian, 1).- the "multiples burins sur troncature", the material from the three coves being discussed would have to be examined directly since they ore not illustrated; 2).- the "Grottoirs"
are almost always smaller than their French counterparts; 3).Gravettian and Microgravettian points occur in numbers; 4).- the
appearance of "Nooilles burins" must be sought in the material
and not in the illustrations.
From an examination of these illustrated materials it would
seem to me that Mme. Sordes has done prehistory a great service
in that we now have a useful working method of classifying Upper
Paleolithic tools. The difficulty lies in the fact that she seems to
have conceived this method to distinguish Perigordion from Aurignacian, but this method of classification may prove to have a
much wider application. In my opinion, to classify the Spanish material as Perigordian would be misleading, and in Pericot's words
previously quoted, confus ing .
The shortcomings of Mme. Sordes' classification with regard
to the Solutrean have been pointed out previously. But three of
her named So lutrean imp lements occur in profusion at Porpall6: the
"Pointe Cl face plan", the "laure l leaf" and the "willow leaf". The
" Poin te 6 cran typique Solutreenne" appears to be absent. In its
place occur the notched paints described as "56) Pointe Cl cran
perigordienn e, d ite atypique: po inte Cl cran lateral plus ou mOlns
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[page-n-33]
THE UPPER PALEOLlTHIC OF VALENCIA

21

nettement degage par retouches abruptes presen tont parfois sur
la face superieure des retouches por t ie ll ement couvrontes, non solutreennes" (52). Of these, 430 have been found at Parpal1 and
6,
011 of them occur between 4.0-5.25 meters. T hese are the levels
occupi ed by the Upper Solutrean and the Fina l Solutro-Gravettian
levels as we have seen.
In fact, it is thi s partiaular implement which Pericot used to
characterize and to name the Final Solutro-Gravettian level because it seemed to him that these points were non-Solutrean, an opi nion in which Mme . Bordes appears to concur. Further, it seemed
to Per icot that the technique used in their manufacture was in fact
a continuance of the Gravettian technique, rather than 0 conti nuance of the Solutrean technique.
In the Solutrean of Valencio Province OCCur also the winged
and tonged "arrowheads". These ore left out in f'Ame. Bordes' classif ication. However, <;heynier has recently included t hem in his
classification of points of the Upper Paleal ithic, and shows one in
his illustrations (53). Forty-six of these points are found in the Solutreon at Parpall6, as we hove seen . They occu r also at Les Mo lIaetes and Barranc Blanc (54).
To su mmarize this port of t he comparison of the three coves,
therefore, we may say that a t Porpa1l6, Les Melloetes and Barronc
Blanc there is a lower level which may be called Gravettian, follow ed by typically Solutrean levels.
At Parpall6 the Solutrean is followed by what has been called
the Final Solutro-Gravettien, as we hove. seen, distinguished by the
" Pointe a cran perigordienne" which appears to be a resumpti on
of Gravettian techniques, and this level is followed by Magdalenien
I, 11, r 11, IV. At Les Mellaetes and Barrenc Blanc, an the other
hand, the Solutrean is followed by levels which have been character ized as Epigravettien, a term used by Pericot to indicate 1).the continuance of the Gravettion technique into the Mesolithic,
and 2).- the relative lock of emphasis on the use of bone.
As has been d iscussed in a previous chapter, Gravettion and

(52) D. DE SONNEVIL LE-BORDES and J . PERROT: "Lexique Iypalogique
du Palealithique superieur". BuBetin de la Soc ie te Prehistorique Fran~a jse, t. lIl1,
Paris, 1956, pp. 547 H.
(53) A. CHEYN1ER: "Imoromtu sur la sequen~e des pointes du Palealithique Superieur", 'P. 193.
(54) L. PERICOT GARC IA: Op. ~it. na te 5, p. 60, for ParpollO.
D. FLETCHER VALLS: Op. ~ir, note 8, fig. 14 for Les Moliae tes, fig. 18 for
Barran.:: B!anc.
-

5

~J

-

J

[page-n-34]
28

S. AR MBRUSTER

Epigrovettion appear to indicate 0 continuing cultural unity in Valencia Province. This culture is probably different fr om what has
been ca ll ed Perigordian in France, especially since the art is so diffe rent, as we shall see. But the possible connection between the
cultures of Valencia and of the Perigord is one or the immediately
urgent problems of prehistory.
Jord6 has made 0 study of Gravettian and Epigrovettian levels
along the entire Spanish Mediterranean coast from Gerona to Gibraltar. After studying the materials from Les Mollaetes, which he
excavated together with PeTieat, os we have seen , he summed up
hi s conclusions as follows:
We find the Gravettion tog ethe r whi t 0 S:lmewhot evolved typica l Aurignocion. As we hove seen previously, it is possible for us to follaw the evolution and
expansion of this industry (Gmvettion) a long the Levontine coast with sufficient
preci sion. With the odvent of the Sc lutreon, the Grovettian diso~peors completely cs on independent culture in almos t 011 of th9 oeninsula, wilh Ihe exception of some enclaves, like that of St. Gregori de FolsetJTorro~ono), .... hich demonstrotes to us the suni ..ol of G.o ..ettion elements in comple ~e independenco of th e
Solutreon. (My it alics) Moreover, in the Solutreon itself, we con readily see Gravettian survivols, which seem to recooture their vitality during the lost SoluIrean phose coiled by Pericot the Final Solutro-Gravettion, in which 0 Solulrean
implement, Ihe notched poin t, is chipped whjth Grovetlian technique, which
seems good proof of the fact that the technique of the retouched back flourishes
again (55).

According to lorda, the Epigrove ttian continues and farms t he
base of Mesolithic industries in the Levant.
In comparing Les Mollaetes and Parpall6, contemporaneity of
occupation of the two sites seems indicated by the following facts:
11.- Similar bone implements ore found in bo th caves at the earli est leve ls of occupation; 2).- similar Gravettian materials at
corresponding levels, although the Gravettion materials of Les
Mallaetes seem richer and more advanced; 3).- 0 Solutrean level
follows the Gravettian at both caves; 4).- the Final Sol ut ro-Gravettian shows analogous characteristics. Synchronous existence of
the Epigravettion at Les Mallaetes and the Magdalenian seems in dicated by the presence of several beve led bone points in the Epigravettian of Les Mallaetes, which may be attributed to the neigh boring Magdalenian of Porpoll6 (56).
I need not go into 011 the ramif ications of Jord6 's hypothesis
here, but in view of the fact that Jord6 is one of the Spanish ar-

(55), F. JORDA CERDA: "Grovetiense y epigroveliense en 10 Espoi'io medilerr6neo", Publicaciones del Serninario de Arqueologio y Numism61ico :Arogoneso,
IV, Zarogozo, 1954, p. 9.
(56\ F. JORDA CERDA: Op. cit . note 55, pp. 10 and 16.

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[page-n-35]
•

THE UpPER PALEOlITHIC OF VALENCIA

29

choeologists who has worked in Val encia Province most intensive ly, his point of view must be carefully consider-ed. Jord6 has divid -

ed the Grcvettion of the Spanish Mediterranean into three parts,
with t hree subdivisions of each, namely, Gravettion I C, b, C, Gra vettian 1I 0, b, C., Grovetion 11 J 0, b, c. According to Jord6, the
earliest, Gravettian I, does not appear in Valencia Province, but
the north in the CuevQ del Reclou Viver (Gerono). He sees this
technique as coming possibly from the Contobrian area, where the
earliest Grovettian might possibly be older. This is admittedly
speculative (57). Jord6's Gravettian 11 0 consists of two levels ot
the previously mentioned CuevQ del Reclau Viver (Gerona), the
beginnings of Level I of St. Gregori (Falset) in Catalonia, the first
Gravettian level to be found at Les Mallaetes: All of these .$f1aw
a persistence o f Aurignacion techniques according to Jord6. Hi s
Grovettian I J b is characteriz:ed by 0 marked tendency to microli thism, and is demonstrated at the corresponding levels of the Cue va del Reclau Viver (Ger.onal, St. Gregori (Falset), Les Mallaetes
and the lowest level of Parpal16. Jard6's Gravettian 1 c is charac .1
teriz:ed by typical and well-made Gravettian points which ore found
at Reclau Viver (Gerona), Les Mallaetes, Porpall6, St. Gregori (Falset), and the earlies t Gravettion level of Hoyo de 10 Mina, a site
near M6laga.
Jord6's Gravettion II J phases show the variations of the Gra vettian technique which perSist and are contemporaneous with the
Solutrean. His Gravettian J I J a indicates the persistence of Gravettian points whitin the Protosolutreon. In Valencia Province itself,
it occurs in the corresponding Solutrean level at Parpall6 and Les
Mallaetes. Gravettian III b, contemporaneous with the Middle SoJutrean at t he height of its development, is characteriz:ed by the
least number of knives show ing the retouched back technique .
Jord6's Gravettian III c is contemporaneous with the Upper Solutreon, in which tiny blades with retouched backs occur in numbers
in Valencia Province.
Jord6 distinguishes three levels of the Epigravettian, each di vided in two. His Epigravettian I is contemporaneous with what
Pericot has called Solutro-Gravettian. Epigravettian I 0 is distin guished by the persistence of the notched point of Salutreon origin
chipped, as we hove seen, in the Groveltian technique. These are
found at Les Mallaetes and Porpoll6 in Valencia Province, to the

(57)

F. JORDA CERDA: Op. ci t. note 55, p. 22.

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[page-n-36]
•

30

S. ARMBRUSTER

north in certain sites of Cotolonio, and to the south in the MurciaAlmerio region. Epigrovettion I b is contemporaneous with Magdolenion I and I L It occurs at Les Molloetes, in the coves previously mentioned in Catalonio, and os for south os Gorham's cave in
Gibraltar. It is characterized by a great number of small blades
with retouched backs, and a general tendency to microlithism in
many of the materials.

Epigrovettian 11 Jord6 considers contemporaneous with Mogdalenion I11 and IV, and characterized by on abundance of tiny blades with retouched bocks, microlithic Gravettion points and micra-

scrapers. According to Jordo, this is the technique shown in the
upper levels of Les Mallaetes, in Catalonia and os for south as
Gorhom's Cove.
Epigravettian I11 Jord6 considers as parallel with Magdalenion
V and VI in France. This stage would appear to be less well defined, since it combines a "pure Epigravettian tradition" with certain
geometric elements, which he considers of African origin, such as
triangles, trapezoids and half-moons (58). Epigravettian I I1 0 de
fades levantina is characterized by t he continuity of the indigenous element as seen in the ma terials from Les Mallaetes. Epigravettian III b de focies capsiense is the period, according to Jord6,
in which typical geometric elements ore found, in Valencia Province, at certain levels af the cove of La Cocina and at Parpal16
(59). This Epigravettian I, 11, III is the Fletcher's Mesolithic I.
To conclude: As we hove seen, Les Mallaetes and Parpall6 are
only three kilameters apart, and t he cantemporaneity of accupatian of the twa sites seems certain. The different indu stries at these two coves would therefare appear to indicate two differen t cultures, at least in so for os their tool making is concerned. A comparison of the Epigravettian and Mogdalenian leve ls of the two coves
by.the statistical method should certainly prove fruitful.
A detailed analysis of all the bone material found at Parpall6
has been made. The tatal number is 3,680; type of material and
the leve l at which these were found are indicated (60). The vast
amaunt of flint material found at Parpoll6 has not yet been completely classified. A statistical study has yet to be mode.

(58) F. JORDA CERDA: Op. cit. note 55, p. 26.
(59) F. JORDA CERDA: Op. cit. nOle 55, pp. 22-27 .
D. FLETCHER VALLS: ~. cit. note 8.
(60) L. PER1CQT GARCIA: Op. cit. nOle 5, p. 35.
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THE UPPER PALEOLlTHIC OF VALENCIA

3J

CHAPTER VI
THE ART

The question of the art found in the Upper Poleolithic of Valencia Province is a very complex one. There are very many beautiful and elaborately decorated rock shelters in the Spanish Levant
and particularly in Valencia Province, os is well known. This art
has been the subject for numerous investigators: Cabre, Breuil,
Obermaier, Parcar, Hernondez Pacheco, KLihn, and others. Breuil,
particularly, has investigated the relation of these paintings with
Bushmen art (61). But in spite of the great amount of work that
has been devoted to it, and the fact that it is relatively well known,
investigators ore undecided os to whether thesk paintings should
be attributed to the Mesolithic or to the Upper Paleolithic. Breuil
is among the outstanding spokesmen for assigning this art to the
Paleolithic. But in the words of Fletcher, "We lock archaeological
data to aid us, since almost always, there ore no sites in the vicinity of the pointings, or if there ore any near, or even at the feet
of the paintings, we cannot assume there is any relation between
them, and we con only relate them hypothetically" (62). There are
two major theories concerning the rock paintings of the Spanish
Levant: The first holds these paintings to Paleolithic, the second
assigns these paintings to 0 post-Paleolithic period. Many arguments hove been advanced on both sides. A great deal of work is
still to be done.
Interesting os the problem is, it is obviously outside the scope
of the present paper. T here is, however, in Valencia Province, on
ort of another kind. T his consists of pointing and engraving on
plaques of stone.
Adjoining the cove of Parpall6, there is 0 limestone formation
which splits and flakes, forming irregularly shaped, flat table ts.
The people of the cove used these to engrave and point on. Approximate ly 20,000 of these limestone plaques were foun d . Of these, 4,983 showed some remains of engraving or pa int ing, and these

(61) H. 8REUIL: "The Palealithic Art of N. E. Spain ond the Art of the
Bushmen. A compar ison". Man, 121 (1930), pp. 149-151.
(62) D. FLETCHER VALlS: "Avances y problemas de 10 Prehistorio Valenciona en los ultimos veinticinco orios". Anoles del Centro de Culturo Volenciono, XIV, 31, Volencic, 1953, p. 15.

[page-n-38]
S. ARMBRUSTER

32

were token to the museum at Valencia. Some were found to be de corated on both faces, so that the total number of decorated sides
is 5,968, a truly enormaus number. Of these, 874 show remains of
painting, 556 show remains of both painting and engraving, and
4,538 show remains of engraving alone (63).
Many of the plaques show only geometrical or curvilinear patterns, but there are anima l representations on 885 of the pieces.
The style is vivid and life-like, but perhaps simpler and cruder in
comparison to plaques from such French sites os Lougerie Basse
(64). The sizes of the animal figures shown range from 3 to 40
centime ters, and include deer, horses, bovides, boors, chamois, car nivores and birds.
A greot many pieces of decorated ,horn and bane were also
found at Parpoll6. The decorated pieces number mare than 434,
which ore distributed amang the levels as follows:
1

Grovettian
Lower Solutreon
Middle Salutrean
Upper Solwtreon
Final Solutro-Grovet tian
Mogdalenian I
Mogdalenion 1I
Magdalenion III
Mogdolenian IV

o
5
4
15
35
80
199
84

It is obvious that the greatest number occurs in Magdolenlon
I J I. A curious fact obowt the decorated horn and bane of Porpoll6
is the apparent crudity of the technique. According to Pericat,
Porpall6 cannot compare in interest with other stations of France
or the N·"Jrth of Spain os for os the decorated harn a'1d bone is
concerned. By far the greatest number of decorative motives appears to be geometrical deSigns. Occasionally it is possible to mak e
out on attempted represen tation of the head of a deer, a goat or
a snake. Generally zig-zog or cri ss-crossed and parallel wavy lines
form the basis of the predominantly geometric art (65).
T o return to the stone plaques of Parpall6 : Several observers

•

(63) L. PERICOT GARC1A: Op. cil. note 5, p". 109_11 O.
(64) H. KOHN: "On th e Trock of Prehistoric Mon", tron5. from the Germon
by A10n Houghton Broderick, New York, 1955.
(65) L. PERICOT GARCIA: Cp. cit. note 5, pp. 104 H.
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[page-n-39]
THE UPPER PALEOUTHIC OF VALENCIA

33

have commented on the fact that t he art seems not to have evolved in technique, but to have been present from the beginning.
The plaques ore distributed throughout all the named levels. Zotz
has pointed out the sali en t fact of its continuity rather than development (66).
Simi lar plaques ha ve been found at Les Mallaetes.
From the 'i'th level ore six -plaques with engraved lines; from the sixth, two
with remains of pointing and two with remains of engraving; from the seventh.
o plaque with remains of pointing and engraving, and two others with engraving;
from the eleventh, 01 0 deplh of 2.35 meters ore two plaques wjth groups of
paronel lines, and from level thirteen, at 0 depth of 2.90 meters there is 0
ploque with on engraved bull (57).

Relating th e art found on the plaques in the caves to that of
the rock shelters of Valencia Province is difficu lt. The represen ta tion of human figures on the plaques from the coves is very doubt ful, whill! the rock shelters abound in moving, }unning, bow -ond arrow shooting human figur es, os well as animals.
Zotz sees tfle painted and engraved plaques as part of on ort
complex extending throughout the western Mediterranean -Itoly,
Sicily, Sard inia and North Africa- (68) but accepts a Mesolithic
dote for the art of the rock shelte rs.
In conclusion: Only the merest indica tion of the ex tent of th e
probl~m has been presented here. Art h istorians u se terms like
"i mpressioni sm" and "expressionism" in d iscussing this art, but
very possibly the archaeologist may obtain more frui tfu l results by
limiting himself to t he k ind and number of pieces found. This I
have tried to indicate. The quantity of engraved and painted pla Ques is tru ly enormous. Finds of this kind in the coves near Gond io
cannot yet be relat ed to similar finds elsewhere so far as I know.
CHAPT ER VII
PROBLEMS : VARIOUS POINTS OF V IEW: CONCLUSIONS

Since 1927, when t he S.I. P. of Va lencia was estab li sh ed, a g reat
dea l of work has been done. Many problems hove been solved o r

(56) L. F. ZOTZ: "Ein wes tmediterroner poleoli thischer Kunstreis ols m ilt ier
:r;wischen Aquilonischer- und Levontekunst". Homenoj e 0 1 Conde de 10 Vego del
Sella, Oviedo, 1955, p. 4.
(57) D. FLETCHER VALLS: Cp. cif. note 8, p. 855, fig. 9.
(68) L. F. ZOTZ: Op. cit. note 56, p_ 151 .
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S. ARMSRUSTER

are in the process of solution, while an the other hand a great many
new ones have offered themselves. Problems and results are both
difficult to synthesize because, faced with the some malerial there
are completely opposite hypotheses on the part of different investigators, or even by the some investiga tor.
The conflicting hypotheses reflect primarily the state of flux of
Valencian p rehis tory, and the vitality with which these problems
are being attacked. In view of the fact that the problems ore so
complex, the hypotheses so confl icting, the field of study so large,
t choose to offer no new hypotheses of my own at the present time,
but prefer rather to state the problems, the hypotheses and the
results through the opinions of Fletcher. The following is on abstract of some of his major points (69).
In spite of what we do not know, and in spite .of the many
Questions that can only be resolver after a gr~at number of excavations have been made, there are some points which appear to be
defini tel y resolved. For the Upper Paleolithic, par?"el chronology
with European industry may be established with relative security
since an evolved Mousterian with Aurignacian and Aterian ele ments from Level I at Cava Negro would appear to occupy the
First Interstadial of the Fourth GlaCiation, which we may infer
from the presence of the Elephas lalensis in Leve l Ill, 0 fact which
obliges us to synchronize it with the end of the European Mousterian, and therefore Levels I and II must run parallel to the Aurignacian of other places,. which explains 0 lock of the Lower Auri gnccian in the Spanish Levant.
We must probably allow for 0 long Mousterion tradition in the
Valencia region, and a long Aterian duration to allow for its in fluence on the Solutrean of Parpall6, os is proposed by Dr. Pericot.
Or we might accept the rapid appearance of the Solutreon in this
region, 0 fact which would explain the lock of the Chatelperranian
and Middle Aurignacion in this region, and the presence of the
Solutrean technique in the Valencian coves.
With respect to the North African contribution, it appears to
be confirmed for the transitional times from the Middle Paleolithic
to the Upper Pa leol ith ic by the Aterion finds of Level I of Cova
Negro. Later relations with Afri ca are revealed by the craniums of
Barronc Blanc. No French prototype con be shown for the winged
and tonged "arrowheads" in spite of the efforts of various French

(69)

D. FlETCHER VAll5: Op. cit. note 8, P;:l. 852-868.
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THE UPPER PALEOLlTHIC OF VALENCIA

35

investigators, The evolution of m icrolithic types independent of the
Mogdolenion is proved by the Valencion sites where Magdalenion
is unknown.
Fletcher poin ts oul two aspects of the problem of the origin
of the Valencion Solutreon: 1).- That of its orig in in general, and
2).- the origin of the winged and tonged "arrowheads". He feels
thot in regard to the origin of the Solutreon, Spanish prehistorians
ore very for from finding a solution which sa tisfies 011 investiga tors. But he feels that grea ter unanimity of opinion exists regard ing the orig in of the winged and tonged "arrowheads" os there ore
few authors who believe in 0 French origin.
The Valencian Magdalenion also poses difficu lt problems. It is
found in Porpo1l6 in its first fou r phases with characteristics which
connect it directly with France, but there ore no in termediate sites
which show 0 coasta l route. T herefore an inte/ior route must be
considered, which like the one supposed for the Solutrean, came
from the western Pyrenees'. Fletcher notes thot certain caves containing Francocon tabrian art in th e Province of Guadolajora may
have served as a point of connection, It is strange that the Magdolenian appears only in Porpall6, being practically unknown in
contemporary, neighboring sites, in wh ich the Gravettion follows
its normal evolution interrupted at one point by the Solutreon, until the arrival of the Neolithic.
In spite of the d ifficult problems which hove been posed as a
result of thirty years of effort on the port of the S.!.P., certain positive results hove been achieved. Fletcher summarizes these in the
following words:
We ore also obtaining results which we may call definitive. The gradual tran_
sition from the Middle Poleolithic to the Upper (Level I of Cava Negra and Level
111 af Barronc Blonc); the presence of A terion elemen ts in t he last period of the
Mausterion, and the beginning of The U";:oer PoleoliTh ic (Level j of Cava Negro\;
The existence of a Grovetti an industry which is the constant Technique Throughou t
the whole of the Upper Paleolithic; T appearance of microlithic pi eces at the
he
end of the SoluTrean; the certainty that during The loiter period there existed
artislic manifestat io ns; the disappearance of the Quaternary Fauna, replaced
by a fauna more characteristic of present I;mes in the Uaper Paleolithic; the focI
th~1 an induslry of small tYJe (e.;:ligravellian I or Volencian Mesalithic 1) is syn*
chronic with Ihe Magdalenian and connects wilh the Nealilhic, elc., are among
the problems wh ich we may consider definitely salved with respect to the Upper
.
Pal eali t hic af Valencia Prov ince (70).

(70)

,

D. FLETCHER VALLS: Cp, cit. nal e 8, p. 869.
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