Understanding an unique conservation work environment: The case of the Côa Valley rock art outcrops

Abstract

The Côa Valley rock art constitutes one of the most significant archaeological sites in Portugal and Europe as its inscription in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List illustrates. Therefore, the Côa Valley Archaeological Park, as the state body responsible for the preservation and management of the Côa rock art, created a Conservation Program that aims to ensure, as far as possible, the continued existence of this heritage. Understanding environment dynamics – geological, geomorphological, mechanical, biological as well as socio- economical – and their different rhythms of evolution is crucial to the development of an informed and consequent conservation philosophy. Moreover, the pioneering character of in situ schist outcrops conservation work further stresses the necessity of accurately understanding all dynamics that determine the perennity of the Côa art..