Maarten van Hoek The Geography of Cup-and-Ring ... - StoneWatch

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FIGURE 39: PETROGLYPH SITES AT OS CAMPOS, BAYONA.
cupule, situated just north and down-slope of the well known petroglyph
rock comprising complex but very superficial designs (and only one
clear cupule). These observations prove how important the exact
recording of each cupule is.
Moreover, the major group of petroglyphs at Os Campos (Fig. 39) is
located south of a rocky hillock, the Outeiro dos Lameiros, with a large
collection of animal engravings on a vertical cliff face. This hillock
blocks the view to the north, where the Ria de Bayona and its
accessible beaches (the original landing place ? - compare with similar
situations at Muros) would have been visible. Apart from later motifs,
simple cupules dominate the centre of the group, marking the highest
point of a small saddle or watershed in the hills, whereas complex
carvings (Fig. 184) are found on lines stretching west and east from
this central group. All over the hillslopes are extensive suitable
outcrops, even extending down to the outskirts of the town of Bayona,
often yielding far better views, but these outcrops have been ignored.
The sheltered situation at Os Campos resembles the Barcelos group,
SW of Bayona (Fig. 130), where two panels with complex engravings
(one group vaguely resembling the “fingerprint” patterns from Gavr’inis
in France) are clearly separated from a small group of cupmarked rocks
to the north. Although the distance between the complex group and the
simple engravings is only a few meters (Fig. 40), it is striking to see
how prominent (but undecorated) boulders between the two groups
completely block off all views between the two groups. Moreover, the
complex group is found on lower level and, like the Pedra da Chula, it is
M. van HOEK: 61 GEOGRAPHY