Spanish cave drawings of animals including bison and horses dating to the late Paleolithic era have been found by experts in a cave in the Basque region of Spain.
According to Phys.org, the local government where the cave is located announced Thursday that about 50 paintings from about 14,000 years ago were found in the Armintxe cave in May and have now been thoroughly studied.
Archaeologists and cave specialists have determined that the paintings are the most “spectacular and striking” ever to be found in Spain and Portugal, according to the UK Daily Mail. Some of the paintings are up to 60 inches in size, and the paintings cover about 300 feet of the cave.
Animals like horses, bison, goats and deer are depicted in the paintings, including one of a bison stabbed with many arrows by hunters. The cave will not be opened to the public because it is not easily accessible to the general population and so that the paintings can be better preserved.
The Paleolithic-era paintings have faded over time so they are difficult for the average person to see. The cave where the paintings were found is located under a building in Lekeitio, a seaside town in the Basque country of Spain. Experts plan to hold special meetings at the end of the month to talk about their findings.
The Paleolithic Era started about 40,000 years ago and ended about 10,000 years ago. During this time period culture advanced rapidly and people were known to use tools made from stone, flint and bone. It was during this period that art forms started to develop and people began to express themselves by drawing, painting and even composing music.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.