Vera Caetano

I am a Conservator-Restorer, graduated in Conservation and Restoration from the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar (Portugal), with a specialisation in stone materials. I am currently a PhD student in the BIODIV Doctoral Programme and an FCT doctoral fellow at BIOPOLIS/CIBIO-InBIO, co-hosted by the Côa Valley Foundation.

My professional work has focused on the conservation of archaeological heritage and rock art, particularly in post-Palaeolithic sites and megalithic monuments of the Beira Alta region, in collaboration with Portuguese and Spanish teams on both national and international projects.

Among these, LandCRAFT - "The Socio-Cultural Contexts of Late Prehistoric Art in the Côa Valley” stands out as a pioneering initiative in Portugal, establishing an interdisciplinary framework that bridges archaeology and conservation science. This experience laid the groundwork for my current PhD research, which examines the degradation and conservation factors affecting rock art, with particular emphasis on the biological processes that influence the stability and preservation of painted rock surfaces.