Art and communication in Iberia and beyond
I began my career in archaeology with little enthusiasm for art, but my experience in Iberia convinced me that an archaeology of art could be of interest. Little did I know that Manuel Gonzalez Morales was beginning his career at much the same time in Cantabria. In this paper I review my own engagement with Iberian cave art, especially Cueva del Niño and Parpalló, in the context of some of Manolo’s publications, especially from the Cueva Mirón. I then move on to consider insights I have gained from a career engaged with Australian archaeohistory of art and how that might inform understanding of Iberian art. My conclusion is that it is impossible to understand cave and rock art without understanding its context, and that, in Iberia this highlights the importance of the work of Manolo with Lawrence Straus at Mirón.
