KOBEN KOBA
Caves with rock paintings or engravings that have been recorded
Close to the Caldera River, which made it a favorable habitation site, the cave was occupied in the Upper Paleolithic, between 35,000 and 10,000 years ago. No fewer than 16 caves with cave paintings or engravings have been identified in the area, representing an impressive concentration of prehistoric art. The Kobenkoba cave stands out for its size, with a surface area of 600 m² and a ceiling 10 m high. The paintings in the cave are not on view, for reasons of preservation, but you can enjoy a very fine exhibition and numerous facsimiles, which are more pleasant to see in a real archaeological site than in a museum.
In the North Hall, a multimedia audiovisual show entitled "Hunters and Artists of a Frozen World" explains how the rock paintings and engravings were created, using a variety of special effects to create an atmosphere that blends the smell of wood fires with gusts of icy air.
The south gallery presents "La Pinacothèque rupestre", an exhibition featuring replicas of some of Europe's most important pictorial sites, with the aim of promoting the splendor of European Quaternary art. On display are facsimiles of rock engraving panels from the Laperra and El Rincón caves (both in Karrantza), as well as 28 sets of paintings from all over Europe, providing an overview of the diversity of styles and periods of European Palaeolithic rock art, from Chauvet to Altamira.