Archaeologists discovers 23,000-year-old rock engravings at Portugal's Coa Valley

LISBON, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists have discovered several prehistoric rock engravings estimated to be more than 23,000 years old at Portugal's Coa Valley Archaeological Park, according to the reports of Lusa news agency on Sunday.

The findings were made on the so-called "Rock 9" of the Fariseu archaeological site, where excavation work began in 2020 and where the world's largest known aurochs engraving -- a 3.5-meter depiction of a wild bull on a schist -- was found on the same year, said the reports quoting researchers.

Two new complete engravings were discovered, along with others still under study, bringing the total number of motifs recorded on Rock 9 to 40.

The new engravings belong to the Solutrean period, a cultural stage of the Upper Palaeolithic characteristic of Western Europe and the Iberian Peninsula, broadly dated between 20,000 and 15,000 BC.

The Fariseu site is part of the Coa Valley Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site spanning 20,000 hectares across the Guarda and Braganca districts. Enditem