Property: Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley
Id. N°: 866
State Party: Portugal
Criteria: C (i)(iii)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (i) and (iii):
Criterion (i): The Upper Palaeolithic rock-art of the Côa valley is an outstanding example of the sudden flowering of creative genius at the dawn of human cultural development.
Criterion (iii): The Côa Valley rock art throws light on the social, economic, and spiritual life on the life of the early ancestor of humankind in a wholly exceptional manner.
The Delegate of Thailand agreed with the inscription but expressed his reservation with the application of criterion (i). The Delegates of Australia and Morocco warmly welcomed this nomination for contributing to the diversity and credibility of the World Heritage List and commended the State Party on its management of the site.