Imaginary creatures in Palaeolithic art: prehistoric dreams or prehistorians' dreams?

Abstract

In the course of research currently being carried out at Santimamine (Bizkaia, Spain) (Gonz’alez S’ainz & Idarraga 2010) and Altxerri (Gipuzkoa, Spain) a series of zoomorphic figures have been identified (four in total between the two sites) that represent creatures that do not exist in nature (Figure 1). They are examples of the so-called ‘imaginary creatures’, unreal or fantastic beings that appear in Palaeolithic art ensembles. Despite their rarity—fewer than 50 are known in Palaeolithic parietal art—they have been the subject of debate and controversy since the first of them were discovered.

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