A famous cave in Spain containing Paleolithic rock art, including handprints and animal paintings from over 36,000 years ago.
Spanish place name meaning 'high view' (from 'alta' = high + 'mira' = view), referring to the cave's location on a hillside in northern Spain.
When Altamira's paintings were first discovered in the 1870s, scientists refused to believe humans from 36,000 years ago could create such sophisticated art—but our ancestors were just as clever and artistic as we are.
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