ROCK ART SITES OF DESPEÑAPERROS IN SANTA ELENA

Sierra Morena is a major fault line that forms a step between the Baetic Depression and the Meseta. It does not rise above 1,000 metres above sea level, but its geographical significance is enormous. In the heart of the mountain range lies the Despeñaperros Gorge, where we find a significant collection of prehistoric paintings in the rock shelters of Las Vacas del Retamoso and Los Órganos, which can be accessed from the Barranco de La Niebla, on the IVa national road (kilometre marker 248). The peaks of the Sierra Morena are a highly significant geographical feature, as they act as a natural boundary between the Meseta and Andalusia, with the Despeñaperros Pass serving as the gateway to Andalusia. For this reason, Despeñaperros has, since prehistoric times, been a strategic natural route for wildlife and human groups. The importance of the site is evidenced by the rock art sites from the Neolithic and Metal Ages, the Iron Age sanctuary at Collado de los Jardines (Iberian culture), and the medieval remains, with the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212 as the main landmark.
The Despeñaperros rock formation consists of hard, resistant and bare quartzite. These rocks form vertical cliffs and slopes with rocks emerging like pointed columns. Among them, the ‘Órganos de Despeñaperros’ stand out, a grey rock formation reminiscent of the pipes of a musical organ. The yellow and orange lichens growing on these rocks complete the fascinating visual spectacle they offer. The vegetation in the area consists of holm oaks, cork oaks, gall oaks and oaks, particularly in the small valleys and on the slopes. There are also thickets of mastic, rockrose and strawberry tree. There are also reforested areas of pine, cypress and cedar. The current fauna includes reintroduced mountain goats, deer and wild boar. They coexist with predators such as the wolf and the lynx, as well as birds of prey such as the imperial eagle and the griffon vulture.

Perched high up in these mountains, a number of rock-shelter sites featuring rock art have been preserved, in varying states of preservation. Their location within this rugged landscape suggests that this place held a powerful attraction for prehistoric communities. The decorated panels are situated in fissures in the quartzite rock, where the straight, smooth walls served as a canvas. These are artistic expressions depicting both figurative, schematic and abstract motifs. Their exact meaning remains unknown, although the paintings appear to convey messages of a social and spiritual nature. The human figure and animals predominate in these representations, suggesting that the relationship between humans and domesticated animals was crucial for the communities that created this art. Their chronology spans the Neolithic and Copper Ages, from around 7,000 years ago to just over 4,000 years ago. Most of the works are in a schematic style, with figures reduced to the bare minimum of lines. The paintings are concentrated on the hillside overlooking the mountain pass, though they are not the only ones. Not far away, to the east, the group of rock-shelter sites at Aldeaquemada stands out, with the Tabla de Pochico and Prado del Azogue shelters as prime examples, and where Levantine Art also appears, featuring naturalistic scenes that include animals painted in flat ink, such as does and mountain goats.