Escoural Cave

Escoural Cave in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal, discovered in 1963, is the first site in Portugal where prehistoric art was identified and the westernmost location in Europe with Paleolithic wall paintings and engravings. The earliest human occupation dates to 50,000 years ago during the Middle Paleolithic, when Neanderthal hunter-gatherers used it as a temporary shelter. Upper Paleolithic rock art (40,000-10,000 BC) includes depictions of horses, bovines, and abstract figures. During the Late Neolithic (3500-3000 BC), the cave served as a collective necropolis. Classified as a Portuguese National Monument in 1963.