Skip to main content
Log in

Sandstone weathering processes damaging prehistoric rock paintings at the Albarracin Cultural Park, NE Spain

  • Published:
Environmental Geology

Abstract

The rock paintings in cliff-foot caves of the Albarracin Cultural Park are known as some of the most important evidences of the Levantine prehistoric art of Spain (8000–3000 BP). The paintings are on sandstone (Buntsandstein facies) of Triasic age, which may develop intense weathering. The analysis of the variables controlling the weathering indicate that salt and wetting-drying weathering are responsible for granular disintegration and flaking, which lead to rock painting deterioration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beiträn A (1986) El arte rupestre en la provincia de Teruel. Institute de Estudios Turolenses. Cartillas Turolenses 5:55 pp

  • Campbell IA (1991) Classification of rock weathering at Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park, Alberta. Canada: Study in applied geomorphology. Earth Surf Processes Landforms 16:701–711

    Google Scholar 

  • Collado O (1992) Parque Cultural de Albarracín. Itinerarios culturales de Aragon. Zaragoza: DGA. 63 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Dragovich D (1969) The origin of cavernous surfaces (tafoni) in granitic rocks of southern south Australia. Z Geomorphol NF 13(2):163–181

    Google Scholar 

  • Fahey BD (1986) A comparative laboratory study of salt crystallization and salt hydration as potential weathering agents in deserts. Geogr Ann 68A(1–2):107–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Gutiérrez M and Peña JL (1992) Upper Holocene climatic change and geomorphological processes on slopes and infilled valleys from archeological dating (NE Spain). Earth Surf Processes Land-forms (in press)

  • Hernández A and Olive A (1983) Cella. Mapa geolℷico de España 1:50.000, Sheet No 566, 68 pp

  • Höllermann P (1975) Formen kavernöser Verwitterung (tafoni) auf Teneriffa. Catena 2(3–4):385–410

    Google Scholar 

  • ISRM (1972) Suggested methods for determining water content, porosity, density, absorption and related properties (Doc. No 2). International Society for Rock Mechanics (Austria). Commission on standardization of laboratory and field tests, pp 81–94

  • Legrand HE (1952) Solution depressions in diorite in North Carolina. Am J Sci 250:566–585

    Google Scholar 

  • Martini JP (1978) Tafoni weathering, with examples from Tuscany, Italy. Z Geomorphol NF 22(l):44–67

    Google Scholar 

  • McGreevy JP (1982) Frost and salt weathering: Further experimental results. Earth Surf Processes Landforms 7(5):475–488

    Google Scholar 

  • Ollier C (1984) Weathering. Geomorphology Texts, 2. New York Longman. 270 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Pena JL and Sancho C (1992) Mecanismos de alteration de la roca y su implication en el deterioro de grabados rupestres y otros restos arqueológicos. Lleida: Ir Congrés International de gravats rupestres i murals. Ponencia III. p 6

    Google Scholar 

  • Peña JL, Gutiérrez M, Ibáñez MJ, Lozano MV, Rodríguez J, Sánchez M, Simón JL, Soriano MA and Yetano LM (1984) Geomorfologia de la Provincia de Teruel. Teruel: Institute de Estudios Turolenses. 149 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Pettijohn FJ (1957) Sedimentary rocks. New York: Harper & Brothers. 718 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Piñón F (1982) Las pinturas rupestres de Albarracin (Teruel). Monografias del Centro de Investigaciones y Museo de Altamira no. 6. MC Santander. 325 pp

  • Reed JC (1963) Origin of some intermittent ponds on quartzite ridges in western North Carolina. Bull Geol Soc Am 74:1183–1187

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez J and Navascués L (1982) La tafonización de las areniscas miocenas en los alredores de Huesca. Tecniterrae 19:7–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Sancho C and Benito G (1990) Factors controlling tafoni weathering in the Ebro Basin (NE Spain). Z Geomorphol NF 34(2):165–177

    Google Scholar 

  • Sancho C and Gutiérrez M (1990) Analisis morfometrico de la tafonización de la arenisca de Peraltilla (Anticlinal de Barbastro, Depresion del Ebro): Influencia de los factores mineralógicotexturales. Cuaternario Geomorfol 4:131–145

    Google Scholar 

  • Sperling CHB and Cooke RU (1985) Laboratory simulation of rock weathering by salt crystallization and hydratation process in hot arid environments. Earth Surf Processes Landforms 10(6):541–555

    Google Scholar 

  • Tena J, Mandado J and García-Anquela J (1984) Influencia de la recristalización de sales en los procesos de meteorizacón subaerea en el valle del Ebro. Cuad Invest Geogra 10:189–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Twidale CR (1982) Granite landforms. Amsterdam: Elsevier. 372 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Twidale CR and Bourne JA (1977) A note on cylindrical gnammas or weather pits in granite. Rev Geomorphol Dynam 26(4):135–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Twidale CR and Corbin EM (1963) Gnammas. Rev Geomorphol Dynam 14(1–3):1–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Valle FJ, Moya JS and Cendrero A (1979) Montmorilionite: Cause of deterioration of rock paintings at Altamira Cave. MASCA J 1(2):36–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams GD and Robinson DA (1981) Weathering sandstone by the combined action of frost and salt. Earth Surf Processes Land-forms 6(1):1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Winkler EM and Singer PC (1972) Crystallization pressure of salts in stone and concrete. Bull Geol Soc Am 83:3509–3514

    Google Scholar 

  • Winkler EM and Wilhelm EJ (1970) Salt burst by hydratation pressures in architectural stone in urban atmosphere. Bull Geol Soc Am 81:567–572

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Benito, G., Machado, M.J. & Sancho, C. Sandstone weathering processes damaging prehistoric rock paintings at the Albarracin Cultural Park, NE Spain. Geo 22, 71–79 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00775287

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00775287

Key words

Navigation