A Spanish Resistance? Social Archaeology and the Study of Paleolithic Art in Spain

Abstract

This essay is a brief inquiry into the ways in which a "social archaeology" from the Anglo-American traditions of archaeology has or has not influenced or been used in studies of Spanish Paleolithic art. The article traces the outlines of what "social archaeology" is, from its historical roots in the New Archaeology, and it also briefly considers how Paleolithic art, in general, has been interpreted. It then reviews some of the relevant Spanish literature of the past decade in terms of concepts or models that are either inspired by this "social archaeology" or that articulate a social approach to the interpretation of Spanish Paleolithic art. It appears as if the most-discussed, although not widely accepted, model is that of aggregation sites, especially in regard to the art site of Altamira. While most researchers agree that the art was embedded in social life, few new social models have been developed or proposed, but at least a space has been opened up for social accounts that should benefit from the increasingly refined empirical research that characterizes much of the recent literature on Spanish Paleolithic art.