From visitors to co-creators: Bringing the Lagar Velho Rockshelter into today’s classrooms

How can young people connect with a child who lived around 29,000 years ago?

At the  European Heritage Label Site of the Lagar Velho Rockshelter and the Lapedo Child, this  question inspired four co-creation laboratories involving schools and the local community  during the spring of 2026. Rather than simply learning about archaeology, participants became  active creators of new ways to interpret and communicate Europe’s deep past. 

 Each laboratory explored the site through a different creative approach: middle school students designed a collaborative board game based on the archaeological discovery; primary school pupils and older members of the local community created an interpretative box that will later  become part of a geocaching experience; Hospitality and Tourism students developed  proposals for guided tours, events and educational activities; and younger children produced  pop-up books inspired by their visit to the Leiria Museum. 
 
Developed as part of the on-going Digital Mediation Project for the Lagar Velho Rockshelter  and the Lapedo Child, these activities demonstrate how participation can transform heritage  into a shared experience. By encouraging creativity, dialogue and collaboration, the project  moves beyond the transmission of archaeological knowledge, inviting new generations to build meaningful relationships with one of Europe’s most remarkable archaeological discoveries and  the shared values it represents.