Quesada will be the epicenter for cave art

With the Conference "Cave art, world heritage, and the role of rural municipalities", Quesada (Jaen), will be the epicenter for cave art. It will take place at Zabaleta Miguel Hernandez Museum on the 21st to 23rd of Juni.

Some of the speakers will include experts from Portugal, France, and Spain, as well as representatives from centers like the National Museum and Research Center of Altamira.

This Wednesday, Pilar Salazar, the territorial delegate to Tourism, Culture and Sports, presented the meeting; Juan Angel Perez, the deputy for Culture and Sports, and Manuel Vallejo, the mayor of Quesada, also attended.

Salazar praised the City Council of Quesada's initiative to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the declaration of the Rock Art sites of the Mediterranean Arch of the Iberian Peninsula as World Heritage. This site houses over 700 locations with prehistoric rock arts.

This legacy, which spans the Upper Palaeolithic through the Metal Age, can be found in the mountains and coastal areas of six autonomous communities: Catalonia, Aragon Castile-La Mancha and Valencian Community.

The delegate explained that "In Andalusia four distinct nuclei can been distinguished that, geographically grouped would be those from the Comarca de los Velez, Almeria and Granada and those of Sierra Morena (Quesada) and Sierra de Segura".

He also stressed the importance of these conferences, in which special attention will not be paid to Quesada's role in rural municipalities being able make contributions to other than Quesada.

Salazar commented that "local entities and rural societies have a lot of to say in its sustainability management, in addition contributing to its identity, local pride, and its governance." He also pointed out the "commitment of the Ministry of Culture in research, conservation, and dissemination of the immense heritage>> of Jaen.

The deputy for Culture and Sports described this event as a "resounding victory". It allows us to appreciate and deepen our knowledge of Jaen's rock art. Perez said that the declarations as World Heritage of Ubeda, Baeza, and the candidacy of Los Paisajes del Olivar make Jaen an extraordinary territory."

Quesada's mayor has stated that Quesada contributes 50% of all caves and shelters in the province. He stated that 42 of the 169 caves and shelters in Andalusia are located in Jaen province, while 22 are located in Quesada municipality.

Vallejo also thanked Julian Martinez, the coordinator of these conferences for creating a "very comprehensive and varied" program. He also acknowledged the support of both the Ministry of Culture and the Junta de Andalucia.

The meeting aims to explore the role of local entities and rural societies in sustainable management of Special Heritages such as World Heritage Rock Art or archaeological heritage. These are fragile by nature but have the potential to provide a vital element for local pride and identity.

They want to encourage diversification of business initiative activities with cultural and creative bases, which is highly sought-after by today's society. However, these must be properly planned, executed on the ground, and by local actors who are committed to their conservation.

The program will include talks by a large number of national and international experts on rock art management as well as guided tours of caves within the province of Jaen. Participants should contact the Zabaleta Miguel Hernandez de Quesada museum (953 734 266) if they are interested.