Rock Art Research

The Côa valley rock art would have been completely submerged if construction of the large Foz Côa dam, begun in 1992, had been allowed to be pursued. The dam project was halted in 1995 and a 200 km² archaeological park was established in this area, which has been legally protected at the highest level—that of National Monument—since 1997. Public access to selected sites is organised through fourwheel drive tours of groups of no more than eight people accompanied by guides appropriately trained in archaeology and rock art studies. Visitor centres were set up in restored traditional houses positioned in villages located on the periphery of the park. A museum of art and archaeology and associated research facilities is to be established at the site of the now abandoned dam. The universal importance of the valley’s cultural heritage and the landmark nature of the Portuguese government’s decision to preserve it in spite of the huge financial loss involved have been widely acclaimed. As a result, the Côa valley’s pre-Historic rock art was included in the World Heritage List in December 1998.