World Heritage Identification Number: 866
World Heritage since: 1998
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: Yes
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: Portugal, Spain
Continent: NA
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde: A Transboundary Testimony of Human History
The Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, offer a captivating glimpse into the early chapters of human history. Situated along the rivers Agueda and Côa, tributaries of the Douro River, these sites span across the borders of Portugal and Spain, providing a testament to continuous human occupation dating back to the end of the Paleolithic Age.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The two Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley (Portugal) and Siega Verde (Spain) are located on the banks of the rivers Agueda and Côa, tributaries of the river Douro, documenting continuous human occupation from the end of the Paleolithic Age. Hundreds of panels with thousands of animal figures (5,000 in Foz Côa and around 440 in Siega Verde) were carved over several millennia, representing the most remarkable open-air ensemble of Paleolithic art on the Iberian Peninsula.
Côa Valley and Siega Verde provide the best illustration of the iconographic themes and organization of Paleolithic rock art, using the same modes of expression in caves and in the open air, thus contributing to a greater understanding of this artistic phenomenon. Together they form a unique site of the prehistoric era, rich in material evidence of Upper Paleolithic occupation.
Encyclopedia Record: Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde
Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde are a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) transboundary World Heritage Site, located in the Côa Valley of Portugal and Siega Verde, Spain.Additional Site Details
Area: Not available
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
Coordinates: 40.6975 , -6.6611111111
