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The rich history in the province of Malaga, favoured by the strategic position of its lands in the movement of different cultures, allows us to have an abundant historic-artistic heritage which goes back to the quaternary era, with the first examples of parietal art developed by Palaeolithic man in the province’s grottoes. The zoomorphic figures and symbols appear in various caves, such as the Doña Trinidad in Ardales, the Nerja cave, the Toro, the Navarro, and above all in the Pileta cave.

The Palaeolithic artists have left excellent engravings in the Doña Trinidad cave and an abundance of paintings in all the rocky stations in Malaga.

During the Neolithic era, the inhabitants of the province were soon incorporated into the new schemes, as proven by the ceramics which were found in the Nerja cave and the Goteras cave in Mollina. Neolithic art appeared later in the Pulsera caves in Algarrobo, the Hoyo de la Mina cave and also in the Nerja caves. The findings consist of marble or slate bracelets, necklace beads made with shells, and of course, ceramics with incise decorations, painted and combed. The ceramic findings belonging to the end of the Neolithic period acquire a special importance in the interior of the province, with representative samples in the Gato cave, and the Palomas cave.

In the transition period between the Neolithic and the metallurgic, in the period known as the Calcilithic, an especially significant artistic manifestation appears in the province, megalithics joined to funerary rituals. In the Ronda area there are the necropoleis of the Gigantes, Gastor and Montecorto; in the Genal valley there are others of this type in Encinas Borrachas and Cortijo de la Mimbre. But, for its monumental importance and its site, the necropolis of Antequera forms the main megalithic area in the province; here there are the sepulchres of Romeral, Viera and Menga, this last one being one of the most monumental in the peninsular.

As well as the above mentioned areas, there are also examples of funereal cultures from the era in Villanueva del Rosario (Tardon necropolis), Casabermeja (Chaperas), as well as in the small sierras in the Antequera depression (Sierra de Humilladero, Alameda, Villanueva de Algaidas and Archidona. Among all of them, the most outstanding is the Alcaide necropolis in Villanueva de Algaidas for the number of sepultures and for the quality of some of its furnishings.

The populations which inhabited this province during the third millennium B.C. left artistic manifestations charged with a strong symbolism which forms the schematic art sample in the province. The most representative are in the Pileta cave, the Porqueros shelter, Alcaide, the Cabrera shelter, and Tajo del Molino. The most usual figures are anchor-like "swallow" type, and tree-like, "plaques" in crosses and undulated.

During the Bronze Age, in the second millennium B.C., together with the growing production of metallic utensils, there is a notable change in style of ceramic crockery and a transformation in the burial rites. The smooth ceramics are constant, although polished, which gives them a metallic aspect, whereas the transformation of the funereal rites is characterized by individual burials, with smaller sepultures than in the Calcilithic era. The changes are appreciated in the Alcaide necropolis in Villanueva de Algaidas, where a Bronze Age dowry was found.

Factories, Mosaics and Villas

After a period which lasted almost a millennium in which there was hardly any news regarding any artistical production in the province of Malaga, a few interesting Phoenician pieces appear in our area. The most outstanding sites are in the Guadalhorce mouth, Malaka, Toscanos, the Peñon hills, the Alarcon hills, the Mar hills, the necropolis in the Sombras hills in Frigiliana, all on or near the coast.

Among the objects found are the ceramics in the Guadalhorce mouth and the Sombras estate, the bronze handle which seems to come from the Alcazaba hills, ivory which appeared in the Roman theatre in Malaga, and a gold medallion which was found in the dowry of a tomb in Trayamar (Algarrobo). There is also a curious relief of a kind of Hercules which seems to belong to the Phoenician era, which is included in the facade of the Casa del Gigante in Ronda.

There are some findings from the Iberian period, such as the zoomorphic sculpture from the Los Castillos site in the municipal district of Teba, the reliefs of the Lacipo town in Casares which form part of the funereal monument, the amphoras and incense holders from the Tortuga hills site near the city of Malaga.

The province acquired an important boom with the Romans, and the artistic production was abundant and varied. From the milestones which marked the lanes to the theatre, castles and walls, villas and cities, the Malaga territory offers an interesting historic-artistic heritage from that era. The towns which flourished the most were Malacca, Antikara, and Arunda, and the most outstanding architectural monuments are the theatres in Malaga and Acinipo, as well as the thermae building of the Bovedas in Marbella. Among the sculptures there are the marble corbel with a Victoria in relief which is related to a triumph arch which must have been erected in Malaga; a feminine sculpture found where the Customs building is today; the pedestal with reliefs from the Tajo estate (Teba); the Bronze sculpture of the Efebo of Antequera and the small bronze of the Tyche of Antioquia which was also found in Antequera.

Another important artistic production form the Roman era in the province, are the mosaics, among which are the ones found in the old Cartima (Cartama), in the Verde river in Marbella, the Auto valley in Riogordo, the ones in Puerta Oscura in Malaga, and the ones in Bobadilla.

Among the archaeological complexes of this era in the province there is the site of the Torrox lighthouse where a variety of elements have been found.