Cuevas de la Araña
Spain · Europe · ✦ UNESCO World Heritage Site
One small figure on a Valencian cliff is the world's oldest picture of a honey harvest
Age
~8,000 yrs
Period
Epipalaeolithic (Levantine art)
Setting
Rock shelter
Art form
Paintings
Discovered
1920
Status
Open (Guided Visits from Bicorp)
In a ravine near Bicorp, the Araña shelters hold the most famous image of Levantine rock art: a figure climbing lianas to raid a wild beehive amid oversized bees — the earliest known depiction of honey gathering, painted around 8,000 years ago. Neighbouring panels show archers and a goat hunt in the lively, dynamic style unique to Mediterranean Spain, part of a serial UNESCO listing of over 700 sites.
Gallery
Notable Features
- ◦ The Man of Bicorp (honey gatherer)
- ◦ Archer and goat-hunt panels
- ◦ Bicorp ecomuseum
Depicted Subjects
HuntersInsectsGoatsHuman Figures
Plan a Visit
AccessThis cave can be visited.
Sources & Further Reading
Hours & prices change — always confirm on the official site before travelling.
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons — image credits. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.