The Solutrense engravings of Cueva del Cuco

Located in the barrio of Urdiales, Castro-Urdiales, Cantabria, the Cueva del Cuco contains occupations from the Solutrense, Aziliense, and Mesolithic periods. The cave entrance was discovered in 1966 and studied by M. A. García Guinea, who published its rupestrian manifestations in 1968. In 1996, it was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC) by ministry of the Law.

The vestibule of the cave holds materials from the Solutrense period and a powerful conchero from the Aziliense and Mesolithic periods. Inside the cave, there are human remains and ceramics from the recent prehistory. The cave contains grabados, essentially representations of animals including 3 deer, 2 goats, 2 horses, and 2 undetermined animals.

The grabados are of two types: one group consists of fine-lined engravings representing the heads and hindquarters of various animals. Another group of figures is large and was made with wide, deep strokes, highlighting the representation of a large complete deer. Based on parallels between the large engraved deer and the black paintings in the Las Chimeneas cave, the set can be attributed to André Leroi-Gourhan's style III, consistent with the Solutrense materials in the vestibule.

The cave has a small vestibule that continues into a narrow, rectilinear gallery of about 100 m. Towards the center, a small sala appears where most of the manifestations are located. The cave is closed to the public and requires a visit request from the Consejería de Cultura, Turismo y Deporte de Cantabria.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons