history of Portugal Written by Harold V. Livermore Emeritus Professor of Spanish and Portuguese, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Author of Origins of Spain and Portugal and others. Harold V. LivermoreAll Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Mar. 31, 2026 •History history of Portugal, a survey of important events and people in the history of Portugal from ancient times to the present. The earliest human remains found in Portugal are Neanderthal-type bones from the cave of Furninha, on the Peniche peninsula. A distinct culture first emerged in the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) middens of the lower Tagus valley, dated about 5500 bce. Neolithic (New Stone Age) cultures entered from Andalusia, leaving behind varied types of beehive...

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