Puntos de Interés
Culture
Petroglyph: Pedra das Tixolas
The human compulsion to leave a mark on the environment is timeless. Our ancestors asserted their presence through rock art, one of the earliest expressions being petroglyphs. These inscriptions were carved into granite outcrops using percussion techniques with stone tools: one acting as a chisel and the other as a hammer.
These vestiges of ancient societies provide a window into the customs and beliefs of peoples of whom no written record exists. The Rías Baixas of Galicia hosts one of the largest concentrations of open-air rock art in the Iberian Peninsula. However, dating these artifacts remains complex, with potential origins ranging from the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age to the Iron Age.
The Pedra das Tixolas petroglyph is a significant ensemble of engravings on a single elliptical stone measuring 4.5 metres by 3 metres located next to a communal path on Monte Vello, amidst a eucalyptus grove. Although the passage of time has weathered the engravings and the surface is colonised by lichen, they can be viewed with greater clarity through a virtual 3D model accessed via the QR code on the site's information board.
Geometric motifs, such as those found on this rock, are the most common in Galicia and the most geographically dispersed style throughout the region. In this case, prehistoric inscriptions intermingle with engravings from later periods, including medieval and modern additions. The oldest distinct motifs include more than twenty circles from which straight lines emerge, combined and surrounded by small circular indentations known as cup marks. Their shapes resemble frying pans, giving the petroglyph its name, as tixola means "frying pan" in Galician. In addition, pedestal crosses can be distinguished on the surface of the rock, and the word 'balliana' is legible. These engravings are clear examples that the practice of marking the landscape has a deep historical continuity.
To ensure the conservation of this important heritage, the Council of Catoira reminds us that we should not walk on the rock, nor should we scrape the lichen or retrace the engravings, as any physical intervention can accelerate their deterioration.