The management of the Côa valley rock art (Portugal)

Abstract

The Côa valley rock art would have been completely submerged if construction of the large Foz Côa dam, began in 1992, had been allowed to continue. The dam project was halted in 1995 and a 200 km², archaeological park was established in this area, which is now legally protected at the highest level as a National Monument. Public access to selected sites is organized through four-wheel drive tours of groups of eight people accompanied by guides appropriately trained in archaeology and rock art studies. Visitor Centers were set-up in restored traditional houses located in the villages around 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 prehistoric rock art of the Côa was included in the World Heritage List in December 1998.