Rock Art Research

Thirty years after the Côa controversy began, it remains unresolved, and today’s different viewpoints remain incompatible. This paper attempts to explain the issue historically and to account for the vastly different perspectives expressed by protagonists. It suggests ethnocentric beliefs about the relative importance of archaeological evidence and an underlying political discourse are the core causes of the issue, as well as the belief of some Pleistocene archaeologists to be able to determine the age of rock art from its purported style. These issues are examined, and the role of the Côa controversy as the world’s first major campaign for preserving rock art is also discussed, together with its effects on world rock art protection.