New rock-art find in Portugal.

BAHN, PAUL G.

Construction work on a highway in the area of the River Tagus in southern Portugal has led to the discovery of some panels of rock-engravings of different periods, including one pecked figure of Palaeolithic style, the first in this region (FIGURE 4).

[Figure 4 ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The figure, a horse in profile, facing right (FIGURE 5), resembles others of its kind such as the Mazouco horse in northeast Portugal (the first open-air Palaeolithic figure to be recognized about 20 years ago) and the isolated horse of Piedras Blancas in southern Spain, as well as the numerous pecked horse figures of Siega Verde and Foz Coa, both in the region of the River Douro.

[Figure 5 ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

First stylistic assessments of the new figure assign it to the same (Gravettian or early Solutrean?) phase as the early images of Foz Coa and the Portuguese decorated cave of Escoural. In any case, the new discovery, together with others in the Iberian Peninsula which have yet to be announced, show that the phenomenon of Palaeolithic open-air art was very widespread, and it can confidently be expected that more examples will rapidly come to light.

PAUL G. BAHN, 428 Anlaby Road, Hull HU3 6UP, England.