Altuna Etxabe, Jesús

Jesús Altuna Etxabe (Berastegi, 1932) studied Philosophy and Theology at the Seminaries of Gasteiz-Vitoria and Donostia-San Sebastián (1944-1954) and Biological Sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid (1955-1960), where he won the Extraordinary Prize of the Faculty of Sciences of that year. He earned his doctorate at the same University in 1971, specialising in Archaeozoology, obtaining the Extraordinary Doctorate Prize.

He participated in numerous archaeological excavations directed by national and foreign archaeologists, especially with José Miguel de Barandiaran, whom he accompanied from 1958 until 1972, when the latter retired. Since 1973 he has directed excavations in caves such as Ekain, Arbil, Erralla, Torre, Amalda, Aitzbitarte III and studied the cave art of Altxerri and Ekain. He has also excavated several megaliths, both dolmens and cromlechs. He concluded the direction of archaeological excavations in 2012 in the same cave where he started, the Ekain cave. He took part in the excavations in Nubia (1963) commissioned by UNESCO, following the construction of the Aswan Dam, to save certain treasures in the area, which were going to be covered by the waters.

His main line of research has been archaeozoology and the study of rock art. For the speciality of archaeozoology he trained in different centres in Germany. Today he is considered the father of this discipline in Spain. It was essential for him to begin this discipline by forming an osteological collection of all the mammals, birds and molluscs that existed on our land during the Quaternary, a task that he has continued throughout his life, with the collaboration of his wife K. Mariezkurrena. Thanks to this collection, he has been able to study bone remains from excavations in the Basque Country and Navarre, the rest of the Cantabrian Region, Aragon, Castile, Aquitaine and Portugal, at the request of the respective directors of the corresponding archaeological excavations.

As far as Cave Art is concerned, it should be noted that since the discovery of the Ekain cave in 1969, in addition to carrying out the scientific study of both the paintings and the site at its entrance, he has been the main advocate of the conservation of this Heritage Asset, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, together with Altxerri. In order to improve the conservation and dissemination of this heritage site, he has promoted and scientifically directed the creation of the Ekain replica, "Ekainberri".

In addition to the aforementioned speciality, his work has been fundamental in the management, conservation and planning of the movable and immovable archaeological heritage of Gipuzkoa, as well as its dissemination. Linked to this, he has been the Director of the Archaeological Charts of this Territory and the director of the signposting of all the megalithic monuments in Gipuzkoa. In the field of dissemination, the Prehistory exhibition, a tribute to Don José Miguel de Barandiarán on his centenary, which was exhibited in the three capitals of the Basque Country and was requested by the National Museum of Prehistory in Madrid, stands out. It had the support of the Basque Government, with the anagram being the work of the sculptor Eduardo Chillida and the international travelling exhibition (Spain, France, Italy, Portugal) of Palaeolithic cave art. It is also worth mentioning the drafting of the contents for a Museum of Prehistory in Gipuzkoa, commissioned by the current Deputy of Culture (2006).

He first taught as an assistant lecturer in Palaeoanthropology at the Complutense University of Madrid, then at the Seminary of San Sebastian and Bilbao, and later, as a professor, at the J. M. Usandizaga Institute in the same city. Visiting Professor of Prehistory at the UNED From 1980 until his retirement in 2002 he was Professor of Didactics of Experimental Sciences at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) in the same city.
    
He was Director of the Prehistory Department of the Aranzadi Science Society from 1962 to 2006 and of the Prehistory Section of Eusko Ikaskuntza (1976-1988). Editor of the journals Munibe (1968-1983) and Munibe (Antropología-Arkeologia, 1984-2004). Member of the editorial board of several scientific journals, such as the International Journal of Basque Studies, Anuario de Eusko Folklore, Doñana, Acta Vertebrata, Archaeofauna, Archaeozoología, Anthropozoologica, Férvedes. He has also held the position of President of the Aranzadi Science Society (1979-1985) and (1991-1998), President of the Barandiaran Foundation (1997-2005). Member of different entities such as the International Palaeontological Union, ICOMOS (International Committee of Rock Art), honorary member of ICAZ (International Council for Archaeozoology) and of the Centre de Recherches d`Ecologie Souterraine.

He has also been a member of the National Commission for Rock Art from 1979 until its disappearance, of the Basque Government's Advisory Councils on Archaeology in the Basque Country and Euskera, as well as advisor on the conservation of the Altamira cave, and on the creation of the museum of the same cave. Advisor on the creation of the Teverga and Niaux rock art complex, member of the scientific committee of the Conseil Géneral de l'Ariège for prehistoric themes, of the International Committee for the study of the Chauvet cave and member of the Council of Excellence of Basque Studies.

He has published more than 250 titles (12 of which are books), most of them research works, but also didactic and dissemination publications.

He has received, among others, the Ibáñez Martín National Prize for Research (1972), the Basauri Prize for Archaeological Research (1975), the Bilbao Book Gallery Prize for the book Lehen Euskalerri, Guía ilustrada de Prehistoria Vasca (1975), the El Correo Prize for Research and Science (1988), the Xabier María de Munibe Prize (1996), Eusko Ikaskuntza and Caja Laboral Prize for Humanities and Social Sciences (1998), El Correo Prize (1988) in Research and Science Lan Onari Distinction of the Basque Government (2002), Sabino Arana Prize (2003), Euskadi Prize for Research in Human Sciences (2004), Gold Medal of the Aranzadi Society (2006). In 2006, he received a tribute in the journal Munibe (Antropologia-Arkeologia) consisting of 3 volumes on Archaeozoology, Rock Art and a varia, with the participation of more than 60 European and American researchers. In 2008, he received a warm tribute in his hometown of Berastegi, where a street was named after him.

Jesús Altuna interviewed by https://www.eusko.ikaskuntza.eus and https://www.naiz.eus