Portugal, 2002

Posted by Inby from sdn-ar-003waseatP245.dialsprint.net (168.191.238.135) on Tuesday, May 07, 2002 at 3:26pm :

Regressive politics 1, Portuguese archaeology 0.
Go see the Paleolithic rock art before they build the dams!
http://www.ipa.min-cultura.pt/coa/
--------------------------------------------------

Subject: Joao Zilhao Resigns

>Dear Colleagues and Friends:
>Yesterday, May 6, the Minister of Culture of the
Portuguese government elected March 17, 2002, publicly confirmed that the independent administration of the archaeological heritage of
Portugal created in 1997 in the wake of the Coa valley affair - the IPA (Instituto Portugues de Arqueologia) - would cease to exist as such, in the framework of the
planned creation of a joint administration for archaeology
and the national monuments. No specific reasons have been given for
this measure, which represents going back to the state of things that
existed in 1994 and was
>largely responsible for the disastrous management of
that affair by the heritage authorities of the time. The fact that the
new government is largely made up of the same people and political
parties who were in office back then may explain this decision to some extent. I remain confident
that the radical transformation and the major achievements
of Portuguese archaeology over the past five years will survive
this setback. Nonetheless, this announcement left me no other choice but to offer my immediate resignation, which has already been accepted. At this stage, my
professional future is uncertain...
With all best wishes
Joao ZIlhao

For all of those who have met Joao and were not in his
list, I thought you might like to know. He received an award
from the European Association of Archaeologists a couple of
years ago for his and his agency's extraordinary work in protecting
Portugals heritage at Coa. He wrote the excellent defense of his
agency's protection of rock art in the Alqueva reservoir that was being attacked by some people with dubious motives. I only met him a couple of times, most recently in Denver at SAA, but from those meetings and what I have heard about him, he is a hardworking, dedicated archaeologist who has done wonders for Portugese archaeological heritage.
--
Tom Wheaton, RPA

Coa Valley Archaeological Park

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: Regressive politics 1, Portuguese archaeology 0. : Go see the Paleolithic rock art before they build the dams! : http://www.ipa.min-cultura.pt/coa/ : -------------------------------------------------- : Subject: Joao Zilhao Resigns : >Dear Colleagues and Friends: : >Yesterday, May 6, the Minister of Culture of the : Portuguese government elected March 17, 2002, publicly confirmed that the independent administration of the archaeological heritage of : Portugal created in 1997 in the wake of the Coa valley affair - the IPA (Instituto Portugues de Arqueologia) - would cease to exist as such, in the framework of the : planned creation of a joint administration for archaeology : and the national monuments. No specific reasons have been given for : this measure, which represents going back to the state of things that : existed in 1994 and was : >largely responsible for the disastrous management of : that affair by the heritage authorities of the time. The fact that the : new government is largely made up of the same people and political : parties who were in office back then may explain this decision to some extent. I remain confident : that the radical transformation and the major achievements : of Portuguese archaeology over the past five years will survive : this setback. Nonetheless, this announcement left me no other choice but to offer my immediate resignation, which has already been accepted. At this stage, my : professional future is uncertain... : With all best wishes : Joao ZIlhao : For all of those who have met Joao and were not in his : list, I thought you might like to know. He received an award : from the European Association of Archaeologists a couple of : years ago for his and his agency's extraordinary work in protecting : Portugals heritage at Coa. He wrote the excellent defense of his : agency's protection of rock art in the Alqueva reservoir that was being attacked by some people with dubious motives. I only met him a couple of times, most recently in Denver at SAA, but from those meetings and what I have heard about him, he is a hardworking, dedicated archaeologist who has done wonders for Portugese archaeological heritage. : -- : Tom Wheaton, RPA

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