🧭 Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula
Pla de Petracos – Abric V, a Neolithic rock shelter in Alicante, Spain
📋 Fast Facts
- Location: Marina Alta region, Alicante, Spain; positioned on a vertical limestone cliff in a narrow ravine
- Age: Early Neolithic, approximately 5600–4500 BCE
- Artistic Tradition: Macro-schematic rock art, a rare and geographically limited style
- Medium: Red ochre pigments derived from iron oxides; large-scale, highly stylized anthropomorphic figures
Abric V is one of several natural rock shelters at Pla de Petracos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising more than 700 prehistoric rock art sites across eastern Spain. Located within a mountainous limestone landscape characterized by steep rock walls, karst formations, and Mediterranean vegetation, Abric V stands on a vertical cliff face with clear visibility across the valley. This positioning suggests intentional placement for symbolic or ritual visibility rather than habitation ...