Coves d'Antona
A group of independent caves with rock paintings in Artesa de Segre, accessed via tracks and channels, with several rock shelters containing red-brown figures.
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Coves d'Antona
A group of independent caves with rock paintings in Artesa de Segre, accessed via tracks and channels, with several rock shelters containing red-brown figures.
Artesa de Segre · Noguera
Length: 15 m · Depth: 8 m
Updated record
https://espeleoworld.com/en/c/coves-d-antona
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A group of independent caves with rock paintings in Artesa de Segre, accessed via tracks and channels, with several rock shelters containing red-brown figures.
Topographic
Espeleoindex · CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ · Image © its author.
Photos
Espeleoindex · CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ · Image © its author.
Description
Morphology
The group consists of three caves; Antona I is located on a lower level, actually formed by two superimposed rock shelters, but access to both is at the same level; the left-hand one forms a steep ramp until it is positioned above the roof of the right-hand rock shelter. The cavity is about 23 metres wide and 8 metres deep.
Antona II and Antona III are actually a large rock shelter with two parallel conduits; access to both is somewhat dangerous; inside, the rock floor is quite slippery with a slope at the final part of up to 60º.
Antona II: its elevation difference is +8 metres and 14 metres of passage.
Antona III: its elevation difference is +6 metres and 15 metres of passage.
Antona IV has an entrance of 5x3 metres and 9 metres deep.
Antona V has an entrance 9.5 metres wide by just over 2 metres high and 9 metres deep. It is structured on a 36º inclined stratum.
Progression
From Artesa de Segre, follow the direction towards Baldomar and just after crossing the bridge over the Segre river, turn left; after covering 35 metres from the road, follow the track to the right; at 575 metres, follow the track to the right; at 780 metres, follow the track to the left; at 1300 metres, continue straight ahead; at 1800 metres, follow the track to the right; at 2200 metres, leave the track and follow a disused track to the left until the end; this route is 680 metres long.
The end of the track leads to an old abandoned crop field; cave I opens in the right-hand wall; access is through the middle of the forest without a clear path. Caves II and III open just above the previous one; you must climb a channel and at the end make a delicate scramble to the left to access them.
We have named cave IV as such because we have no further references; it is the easiest to access, located at the end of the crop field beside the path.
Cave V is accessed via the same channel that leads to caves II and III, but without making the scramble to the left; in this case, continue to the end of the channel and a little to the right.
Apart from these catalogued caves, on the cliff there are at least half a dozen more of this kind of cave for which we have no reference.
Other details
In this rock shelter, 16 red-brown figures are identified on the left wall of the cave in a space of 7 metres; their state of conservation is very poor.
Antona II has three figures; their state of conservation is very poor.
Antona III has 15 figures; their state of conservation is very poor.
History
Known since ancient times and archaeologically documented since the 70s of the last century.
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Bibliography
- Maya, J.L.(1977).-Lérida Prehistórica
- Díez-Coronel, L.(1979).-XIV Congreso Nacional de Arqueología. Vitoria, 1975.
- Maluquer de Motes, J.(1981).-El poblament antic a la comarca de la Noguera
- Maluquer de Motes, J.(1982).-Les excavacions arqueològiques a Catalunya en els darrers anys
- Viñas, R.; Alonso, A.; SARRIÀ, E.(1983).-La pintura rupestre en Catalunya.
- AADD (1990).-Inventari del patrimoni arqueològic de Catalunya. Corpus de pintures rupestres. La Conca del Segre
- Valles, Jordi de (2009).-”Alt Urgell, Noguera, Pla d'Urgell, Segarra, Solsonès, Urgell”. Catàleg Espeleològic de Catalunya. Vol. 2: 1-384. EC Gràcia/FCE.
- Oms Arias, F.X.; Petit Mendizàbal, M.A.; López Cachero, F.J.(2016).-Del neolític a l'edat del bronze en el Mediterrani occidental. Estudis en homenatge a Bernat Martí Oliver.
- Fotos extretes de Invarque.cultura.gencat.cat (Inventari del Patrimoni Arqueològic i Paleontològic de Catalunya).
- Coordenades, dades topografies i fotografies facilitades per Juli Serrano i Montse Roca (SIE-CEA) i Francesc Rubinat (ERE-CEC).
Nearby caves
Source: Espeleoindex (espeleoindex.com), modified. CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/