On May 1, 2014, the Secretariat of State of Arts and Cultura and the Ministry of Tourism will launch the project “Protection and Promotion of Rock Art in the Lautém District”. The ceremony takes place in the village of Tutuala, starting at 9:00 am.

This project funded by UNESCO, through the Funds in Trust mechanism offered by the Government of the Netherlands, is the result of a joint effort between the Government of Timor-Leste, UNESCO, the NGO Many Hands International and the Tutuala community.

In addition to two exhibitions on the rock art of Tutuala (one in the village of Tutuala and another in Lospalos), there will be opportunity to visit one of the caves in the region with rock art, which has undergone a process of musealization in collaboration with the local community.

Since 2002 and over more than 10 years, researchers from the Australian National University, in close collaboration with the Government of Timor-Leste, have been developing archaeological research in the district of Lautém. Currently, there are over a hundred archaeological sites in the region, located within the Nino Konis Santana National Park, many of which containing rock art.

Most sites with rock art in Tutuala are part of contemporary cultural practices by local communities and have a unique significance within the region and worldwide. Through a process of community consultation and good management between Government and communities, some of these sites may be listed as UNESCO World Heritage and be used to help create sustainable economies in cultural tourism.

The launch of this project marks the collaboration that has been developed in recent years between Government, UNESCO and communities Tutuala, to protect and promote the rich cultural heritage of Timor-Leste, and in particular the rock art of the district of Lautém.