ABSTRACT
The Tejo Valley rock art complex in Portugal is a significant prehistoric site. The rock art found in the Tejo Valley is believed to be the work of prehistoric peoples who lived in the area thousands of years ago. The complex is in the central region of Portugal, provides a set of 12 known rock art sites and covers an area of approximately 120 km length between the Ocreza River mouth (downstream) and the Erges River valley (upstream). These sites hold a set of 1,636 engraved rocks with 6,988 figures of several typologies that cover a long timeline.
Tejo Valley has an important historical significance because most of the rock art found in the Tejo Valley is believed to be from the Neolithic and Copper Age, dating back to as early as 5000 BCE. Despite this important set of Neolithic-Copper Age engravings, Tejo also provides a small but important set of palaeolithic engravings, an important group of figures made by the last hunter-gatherers of the Holocene and a small but interesting group of figures from the Bronze Age. The rock art provides insight into the beliefs and customs of the people who created them. They depicted animals, human figures, and abstract designs, which provide a glimpse into the cultural practices of prehistoric societies of Central Portugal. Although most of the rocks with engravings have been under water for 50 years, its historical, cultural, and artistic significance makes it an important site to disseminate for future generations.
