- Escoural Cave
The Escoural Cave coord |38|32|39|N|8|8|16.53|W| display=inline,title is a structure known for its
Paleolithic -era parietal art (rock art) andburial s, located in the Portuguese municipality ofMontemor-O-Novo . This cave is now closed to the public and can only be visited by appointment.Geologically, Escoural Cave and the associated archaeological site is located within a marble outcropping, which is itself enclosed within igneous rock. Geographically, the site is located between the
Tagus river basins, theSado River , and the plains region ofAlentejo .Partly sealed by a thick
flowstone mantle, the cave is made up of various rooms and galleries. Together these testify to about 50,000 years of history, illustrated by paintings made by those who lived at and visited the site.The cave's first occupation dates back to the
Middle Paleolithic , when groups ofNeanderthal hunter-gatherers used the cave as temporary shelter for the practice of hunting. Based on bone evidence within the cave, these groups hunted nearbyauroch ,deer , andhorse . Later, during theUpper Paleolithic period (40000-10000 BC), residents made their mark on the cave. Their influence is evidenced by a rock sanctuary containing paintings of animals contemporary to the Upper Paleolithic period.External links
*cite web |url=http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=14009 |title=The Megalithic Portal and Megalithic Map |accessdate=2007-12-08 |format= |work=
*cite web |url=http://www.ippar.pt/english/patrimonio/itinerarios/alent_algarve/itin_escoural.html |title=Portuguese Institute of Architectural Heritage, Archaeological Sites in Alentejo and Algarve
accessdate=2007-12-08 |format= |work=
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