Cave of El Castillo. A location, a memory
Prince Albert I is known for his exploits as an explorer and for his strong involvement in oceanography. His curiosity was not limited to this field, however. His appetite for knowledge also led him to support anthropology and prehistory, fields which were then flourishing, driven by leading academics including Henri Breuil, Marcellin Boule and Hugo Obermaier.
On 23 July 1914, during a port of call in Santander, Spain, the Prince, accompanied by members of his scientific team, visited Puente Viesgo to see the excavation work at the Cave of El Castillo – a major cave site listed, along with Altamira, as a World Heritage Site since 2008. He found Hugo Obermaier there:
“H.S.H. the Prince has just left the port of Santander. I spent three excellent days with him and we went to Pasiega and the dig. The Prince was very pleasant and extremely satisfied, something which will certainly be just as valuable for the entire Institute of Human Palaeontology.” Letter from Hugo Obermaier to Henri Breuil
The Cave of El Castillo is a major prehistoric site in Europe, important both from an artistic point of view and a scientific one. The cave was discovered on 8 November 1903 by Hermilio Alcalde del Rio (a Spanish archaeologist). However, it was Henri Breuil who carried out the analysis, visiting the cave during the course of several expeditions to record all of the paintings and produce a survey. The research was conducted under the auspices of the new Institute of Human Palaeontology, and the work was funded by Prince Albert I.