ARCHEOLOGY
OUR ANCESTORS
In Carnota we find numerous samples of cave engravings made on stones in the open air, the petroglyphs. The most well-known are those that make up the Open Archaeological Museum: Laxa Escrita, Afilladuiro, As Laxiñas, Rego Lamoso, Prousos Magos, etc.
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From the end of the Bronze Age until the 1st century, the castrex culture developed in the northwest of the peninsula, whose most notable feature is its walled towns known as the castros from which it takes its name. The presence of two forts stands out in our Town Hall, the Castro de Mallou, which still has remains of the walls and houses and the Castro dos Miñarzos, in the parish of Lira.
Open Archaeological Museum
The Open Archaeological Museum is a natural space that runs for more than 10.5 km, through which there are seven archaeological spaces from different periods and typologies, selected from the great cultural wealth that is distributed throughout the territory of Carnota, where there are over eighty archaeological sites.
The museum is made up of the petroglyphs of Prousos Magos, A Laxe Escrita, Rego Lamoso, O Afilladuiro and As Laxiñas; and by the Castro de Mallou and the Moorish Tower. All these spaces offer a route through history, from the Bronze Age (the petroglyphs are dated between the 3rd and the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC) to the present day. They reach a height of more than 300 m, from where you can enjoy the incomparable views of Carnota: its beach, almost 7 km long; the Fisterra Lighthouse in front and the Ría de Corcubión and Monte Pindo, to the north, protecting the surroundings. The different spaces of the Open Archaeological Museum are distributed along the Senda Verde, a linear hiking route where the access and sites are signposted.
The starting points facilitate the visit, as they enable the selection of different routes. The most popular routes are the Lira, Mallou, Carnota and Louredo. The characteristics of this open-air museum allow you to take a route on foot or by bike at any time of the day, combining a cultural, natural and sports visit.
A Laxe Escrita
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The carvings are distributed in several groups. The first set is located on a big rock at ground level, in the north of the track where you can see a lot of forms, among which we can mention several cruciform, circular combinations, as well as carvings that seem to represent boats.
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The circular combinations, approximately ten, present a radial form extended to the outside, in some cases incomplete, and with a diameter ranging from 25 to 60 cm. It stands out in the central area a circular combination of 74 cm in diameter, incomplete or worn at one end. The depth of the carved grooves also varies, some have a rougher groove, surely as a consequence of a later peg.
In the middle of the stone we can see five sailing boats which would correspond to the Modern Age. The rest of the engravings are form by several symbols of difficult identification, a hole of small size, as well as a wide range of crosses more or less complex. Approximately a hundred cross groves similar to the boats.
The second group is located 20 meters to the west of the main slab. This group is form by three circular combinations in a large stone. 100 m to the west is the third group of at least three circular combinations.
How do you arrive?
Behind the Town Hall there is a local Sports Center and very near there is one of the monoliths in reference located in the access to the Green Trail from Carnota. We climb up the trail about 700 meters, with a moderate slope, and we find the interpretative table next to the rock on the left side of the track just before a sharp curve. The rock has a size of 11 x 6 m of surface almost plain and located at ground level.
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Bibliography:
CERNADAS SANDE, J. (2008): Gravados rupestres nos montes de Carnota. TresCtres Editores. Santa Comba (A Coruña).
ALONSO ROMERO, F. (1993): “Las embarcaciones en el período germánico del arte rupestre de Carnota (La Coruña)”. Galicia: da romanidade á xermanización. Problemas históricos e culturais. Actas do encontro científico en homenaxe a Fermín Bouza Brey (1901-1973), Santiago de Compostela.
BÓVEDA FERNÁNDEZ, Mª. J.; CAÑIZO FRAGA, J. A.; VILASECO VÁZQUEZ, I. (1999): “Lugares para grabar, lugares para morrer. Petroglifos e cistas na Idade do Bronce no NW da Península Ibérica”. Gallaecia: revista de arqueoloxía e antigüidade, nº 18, pp. 89-102.
VV.AA.: Fichas do Inventario de xacementos do concello de Carnota. Dirección Xeral do Patrimonio Cultural. Xunta de Galicia.
CONCELLO DE CARNOTA (2013): Catálogo do Plan Xeral de Ordenación Municipal. Documento previo á aprobación inicial. Tomo V.
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Rego Lamoso
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Description
The hill Rego Lamoso´s petroglyphs are located on a rocky hill that rises over the environment. It is a complex and diverse set of petroglyphs in which stands out four groupings of bowls, weapons representations, concentric circles and square recesses. In the first group formed by several flat rocks of rough surface that hardly rise from the ground, we find several bowls of different shapes and sizes, some of them similar to human footprints and all of them very visible. The most important shapes are three representations of weapons similar to short swords or daggers, of which the largest measures 62 x 19 cm. The grove size is 2´5 x 0´5 cm deep. The one that lies further west has a incomplete handle and measures 43 x 18 cm. The representation located farther north measures 45 x 11cm and it is joined to the engravings by a stroke that starts at the exterior of the rock and meets with the bowl. These engravings are completed by a small circular combination and a zig zag motif.
Three meters north of this motif we find the second group of engravings in a small flat rock which protrudes about 50 cm above ground level. They are form by several bowls of different shapes and sizes, some communicated with stroke engravings.
About four meters northwest of this slab we find the third group in the surface of three small slabs that hardly measure more than 30 or 50cm. They are form by several quadrangular recesses with rounded edges; the larger ones are bordered by concentric strokes with the same shape of recesses, and one of them is incomplete because of the smash that the stone has at one end. The largest recesses have a similar dimensions 15 x 15 cm y de 1´5 cm of depth.
About four meters northwest of the first group of slabs, we find the engravings from the fourth group. In a small stone we can see a circular combination and several cups scattered on its side. In the surroundings of this hill we can see several cups of oval and quadrangular shape.
Access:
How do you arrive?
Taking as reference the road that goes from Mallou to the intersection of the Green Trail, and from this crossroad about 485 meters towards to the Prousos Magos´s petroglyphs, we arrive at the detour where we make a left. After walking about 200 meters through an area of eucalyptus, the trail begins to appear next to a stone wall to our left. About 100 meters north we notice the hill and an information panel next to it.
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Bibliography:
CERNADAS SANDE, J, “Rock carvings in the Carnota´s Mountain” tresCtresEditores. Santa Comba (A Coruña) 2008.VOLUME V -CATALOG GENERAL PLAN-CARNOTA´S MUNICIPALITY PRIOR DOCUMENT TO THE INITIAL APROVEMENT REDACTOR TEAM: SCQ TAU territory, architecture and urbanism SLP APRIL 2013.
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> Prousos Magos
> As Laxiñas
> O Filladouro / O Afilladouro
> Rego Lamoso
Mallou´s Fort
The Mallou´s Fort is a fortified settlement of the Iron Age, which belongs to the Galician tribe “supertamáricos” or north of the river Tambre. It is considered that would have been in operation between the centuries III-IV a.C. and I d.C.
The perimeter is surrounded almost entirely by two walls separated by an embankment and reinforced in the south side with a third wall and a small parapet where a ditch would be located. The set covers an area of 1, 28 hectares approximately.
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The main enclosure of the Fort occupies an oval surface of 4.450 square meters approximately. Its conservation state is not as good as desire, because many of the stones which formed the houses, rectangular and circular structures were used for other purposes later.In addition to the houses, among the findings stands out a possible cistern, a guard´s body, the presence of iron residue would indicate the possibility of a forge, naviform mills and a lot of ceramic.
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In the years 2006/08 the first performance took place on the premises. Later, in 2013, the Fort was renovated through a public archeology initiative in which the neighbors, volunteers and Carnota´s Town Council participated.
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Legend has it that it was the Queen Loupe´s residence, so one of the stones would be her chair. Years ago a wild boar´s head appeared in the walls and stolen later.
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How to arrive?
​One kilometer north of Moor´s Tower we find the Mallou´s Fort, which we can access thru the village of Mallou, barely 500 meters from the site. When you reach the marked point on the trail you have to climb just 20 meters by a simple terrain to get the interpretative table located next to Fort.
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We have two possibilities of access from the point not located at the information table:
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Ascend in a straight line crossing the wall to reach the interior platform.
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Go around the left or fort and access it, which would be an original and monumental entrance.​
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Bibliography:
CERNADAS SANDE, J, “Rock carvings in the Carnota´s Mountain” tresCtresEditores. Santa Comba (A Coruña) 2008.VOLUME V -CATALOG GENERAL PLAN-CARNOTA´S MUNICIPALITY PRIOR DOCUMENT TO THE INITIAL APROVEMENT REDACTOR TEAM: SCQ TAU territory, architecture and urbanism SLP APRIL 2013.
AGRAFOXO PÉREZ, X. (1991): “A cultura castrexa nos concellos de Outes, Muros e Carnota”. Cadernos Cruceiro do Rego. Publicacións Sementeira. Noia.
LAMAS BÉRTOLO, J. (2009): “Campo arqueolóxico de traballo en Castro Mallou, Carnota (A Coruña)”. Actuacións arqueolóxicas. Ano 2007, pp. 32- 35. Xunta de Galicia. Santiago de Compostela.
VV.AA.: Fichas do Inventario de xacementos do concello de Carnota. Dirección Xeral do Patrimonio Cultural. Xunta de Galicia.
CONCELLO DE CARNOTA (2013): Catálogo do Plan Xeral de Ordenación Municipal. Documento previo á aprobación inicial. Tomo V.
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OUTROS XACEMENTOS
Torre dos Mouros
A Torre dos Mouros é unha impoñente fortificación de inicios da Idade Media. Localizada nun outeiro rochoso, ten unha privilexiada vista de 360º que abrangue dende Monte Louro (Muros) ata o Cabo Fisterra.
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A fortificación consta de diferentes elementos:
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Un sistema de dobre muralla, que pecha este recinto de dúas hectáreas de extensión. As murallas considéranse monumentais tanto polo grosor, de ata cinco metros, coma pola súa altura, que debeu de ser destacable, tendo en conta a cimentación, de 3-4 metros de profundidade; co cal, serían perfectamente visibles dende o mar.
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Un camiño de acceso, que esta lousado e que dá paso ao interior do recinto principal, duns 20 metros.
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Dous recintos internos: o principal, na parte baixa, na explanada á que accedemos ao atravesar as murallas; e un segundo recinto, na parte elevada, un reduto de máis difícil acceso, que contaría cun peche perimetral propio. Polo momento non é posible determinar o uso destes recintos, nos que hai evidencias da existencia de construcións de carácter efémero.
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A entrada é tamén monumental, orientada cara ao porto de Lira, nun claro sentido disuasorio fronte posibles ataques dende o mar.
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Este amplo recinto de carácter monumental presenta características diverxentes respecto dos habituais do noroeste peninsular (os castros) ou dos pequenos castelos ou torres da súa contorna. As técnicas construtivas difiren tamén das empregadas nos castros, o que, xunto coa ausencia de restos materiais (cerámicas que xustifiquen o uso doméstico), fala dun uso diferente a estes.
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Segundo o estudo dos vestixios e do contexto construtivo, estaría deseñado para acoller a unha comunidade de xeito puntual, en momentos concretos, que se corresponderían con aqueles de maior virulencia das razzias viquingas, ataques máis centrados nas épocas máis favorables para a navegación (primavera e verán). Despois do s. XII, co cese dos ataques, deixaría de usarse como refuxio e pasaría a un uso agro-gandeiro.
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No século XX, o lugar continuou tendo a súa función de protección, xa que foi utilizado como refuxio para os fuxidos da Guerra Civil. Este espazo está asociado a diversas lendas, entre as que destaca a do cabaliño de ouro. O lugar puido ser recuperado por medio dunha iniciativa de arqueoloxía pública coa participación da veciñanza de Lira, voluntariado e o Concello de Carnota.
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Como chegar
Está situado ao pé da senda. A poucos metros de pasar a cancela que pecha a zona, observamos o camiño empedrado, duns 20 metros, que sobe ao recinto superior a través das murallas, entrada orixinal desta fortificación. Resulta doado o acceso.
A través da Senda Verde: indo dende Lira é o primeiro destino que atopamos na senda.
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Dende a AC-550: en Lira, en dirección Muros, collemos un desvío á esquerda, á altura do km 29. A 2,2 km atopamos a mesa explicativa, ao pé da porta de acceso.
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Bibliography:
BARREIRO BARRAL, J. (1970): “Notas Arqueológicas e históricas de los montes de El Pindo”. Compostellanum, T. 15, nº 4, pp. 653-643. Santiago de Compostela.
CRÁNEO, M. (2012): A Torre dos Mouros. Demo Editorial.
VV.AA.: Fichas do Inventario de xacementos do concello de Carnota. Dirección Xeral do Patrimonio Cultural. Xunta de Galicia.
CONCELLO DE CARNOTA (2013): Catálogo do Plan Xeral de Ordenación Municipal. Documento previo á aprobación inicial. Tomo V.