The vast majority, about 80 percent of upper Paleolithic cave art sites are assigned to the middle and upper Magdalenian. It was dating from around 17,000 to 12,000 years ago.
Their remnants have been found in caves on or near rivers that empty in to the Atlantic in present day Spain and France.
Some of the long–stay sites and the ‘super sites’ have yielded cave art. However, cave art sites in the Middle Magdalenian frequently appear to have been set part from daily life.
It is through their cave paintings that people of the ice age seem both human and most mysterious. Over 270 sites with Paleolithic wall art have been found within Europe.
A variety of animals were depicted in the art: horse and bovids were most frequent, with the addition of a significant number of representations of ibex. Deers, chamois and humans were also represent, while other animal were extremely rare, felines, bears, rhino, mammoth, a weasel and birds.
Magdalenian cave art
