La historia de Galicia escrita en sus piedras

The land says much more about us than we might think. Specifically, its rocks and stones collect centuries and centuries of Galician history, as confirmed by the petroglyphs scattered throughout Galicia. This is confirmed by the petroglyphs scattered throughout Galicia, and today we take a look at some of the most famous ones!

The land says much more about us than we might think. Specifically, its rocks and stones collect centuries and centuries of Galician history, as confirmed by the petroglyphs scattered throughout Galicia. This is confirmed by the petroglyphs scattered throughout Galicia, and today we take a look at some of the most famous ones!

What is a petroglyph?

A petroglyph refers to the engraving on stone, to the symbolic design achieved by abrading the most superficial layer of the rock, made in periods that could date back to the Neolithic period (at least 6,000 years ago!). These pictograms represent everyday events and were used to facilitate communication between humans or to warn of possible dangers.

Laxe dos Carballos

One of the best known petroglyphs in Galicia is a deer accompanied by two oak trees. This hunting scene, baptized as a Laxe dos Carballos, is portrayed on a large rock of 60 square meters. It is located in the Parque Arqueolóxico da Arte Rupestre (PAAR) of Campo Lameiro, accompanied by another 80 engravings. If you think there are a lot of petroglyphs, it is with good reason: in this location is the largest concentration of rock engravings in Europe.

The PAAR defines the walk through this park as an experience for the senses. This route is made up of more than 3 kilometers in which you can enjoy nature, culture and history through its rocks. In the archaeological area that can be visited you can enjoy the motifs of Laxe da Forneiriña, Laxe dos Carballos, Outeiro dos Cogoludos I and II, Outeiro das Ventaniñas, Outeiro da Pena Furada, Fonte da Pena Furada and Laxe dos Cabalos.

Labyrinth of Mogor

In the municipality of Marín are located the petroglyphs of Mogor, of which there is evidence since the mid-nineteenth century. Although at the beginning there were seven, currently only three of them are visible in which we can observe drawings of cups, pseudo-labyrinths, labyrinths and some deer.

The most famous of this group is known as the Labyrinth of Mogor, since it is an atypical motif in the whole of Galician rock art, of which only five are known in all the Rías Baixas.

Petroglyphs of Cequeril

In Santa María de Cequeril, in the municipality of Cuntis, we find the Cequeril rock art, composed of three groups of motifs. Outeiro dos Campiños, with twelve well-marked combinations and atypical design; Laxe dos Homes, with round-headed anthropomorphic figures and Laxe dos Homes II, with quadrangular designs and crosses.

Although this is just a small glimpse of all that is rock culture in Galicia, it already makes us feel all the history of our ancestors that we can read in stone.