UAlg forest transforms into Prehistoric Discovery Day for families – Portugal Resident

This month, the wilder side of the University of Algarve (UAlg) will become a portal to the deep past. On Saturday, May 30, the Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB) invites the public to trade their smartphones for stone tools at the Prehistory Discovery Day (Dia da Pré-História).

Designed as an immersive, outdoor festival, the event replaces traditional lecture halls with a 1km “Path of Discovery” winding through the forested areas of the Gambelas Campus.

From 10am to 5pm, families, curious adults, and aspiring young explorers can engage in a series of hands-on challenges and scientific demonstrations led by world-class researchers.

A Day of Ancient Skills and Modern Science

Visitors will not just observe; they will participate. The circuit features over a dozen interactive stations, including:

• The Survival Arts: Master the art of palaeolithic cooking, and try your hand at the atlatl (spear-throwing) with experts from the Prehistoric Skills Company.

• The Stone Age Lab: Watch flint-knapping demonstrations and learn how our ancestors crafted the world’s first “Swiss Army knives” from raw stone.

• Art & Identity: Create prehistoric pigments, engage in prehistoric painting, and craft Mesolithic shell beads to take home.

The “Picture Treasure Hunt” Adventure

In a break from the digital world, younger explorers can take part in a Visual Archaeological Quest. Armed with a “Discovery Map”, children will hunt for specific prehistoric images hidden along the trail. By matching the pictures to the hidden markers, they will solve the mystery word to earn their Junior Archaeologist Badge.

Meanwhile, adults and children can visit the Institutional Hub to handle genuine artifacts, look through high-powered microscopes to see how ancient diets are reconstructed.

“This isn’t a museum where you look through glass,” says Dr. Tomos Proffitt of ICArEHB. “It’s about the tactile experience of being human. We want people to feel the weight of a stone tool, smell the smoke of a prehistoric fire, and realize that the science of the past is very much alive here in the Algarve.”

Event details

• • Date: Saturday, May 30, 2026
• • Time: 10am to 5pm
• • Location: UAlg Gambelas Campus (Follow the “Discovery Day” signs)
• • Admission: FREE (But booking is necessary).

What to bring: Comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, a bottle of water, snacks and a sense of adventure.

Note: The full discovery trail is not wheelchair and pushchair accessible. Attention: some pigments may stain clothing, so we recommend wearing comfortable clothes that can get dirty.

Facilities: Toilet facilities are available, however, there is no food or refreshments.

About ICArEHB

The Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB) is a leading research unit based at the University of Algarve. Its mission is to understand the origins and development of the human species through cutting-edge archaeological science and international collaboration.

For more information: [email protected]