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

� CHAPTER 1.3.2 �
GARGAMALA,
A GALICIAN INLAND GROUP
� INTRODUCTION �
As the crow flies, the rock art complex of Gargamala is located only 14
km inland, a distance comparable with the Northumberland group in
Britain. However, if one follows the natural course of the Rio Miño, the
Rio Tea and the minor tributaries up to the complex, the distance is
more than 65 km (Fig. 50).
This interesting group of rock art panels (all described in Appendix 1)
is situated just NE of the village of Boente on two rather flat-topped
ridges that stretch to the south, roughly halfway on the south slopes
of the Coto de Eira (881 m). The mountain itself, situated 3 km to the
NNE, is invisible from the complex. The art panels are found between
the 400 and 500 m contours and have their main view focussing to the
SSW, where the valley of the Tea stretches out. The river itself, some
4 km to the south and at about 60 m, is not visible because of the
rough and hilly nature of the main valley. It is certain that it was not
the view of the Tea valley that attracted prehistoric man, as there are
many places with far better views of this valley, like the hillock at
nearby Santa Tecla (not the site with the same name near A Guardia, at
the mouth of the river Miño – see Fig. 50), site of a Catholic church
and also a prehistoric “Castro” built on extensive rock outcrops without
any carving. There is, however, a boulder in the Castro with a basin and
two cupules and another boulder with a serpentine groove.
* 1.3.2.1 MOTIFS *
The repertoire of prehistoric rock art motifs found at Gargamala is
rather limited for a Galician rock art complex of this size. It is namely
exceptional to find such a major rock art complex in inland Galicia
comprising abstract motifs only as, except for a possible axe (Fig.
176) and an animal, the great majority of the motifs consists of
cupules, cup-and-rings and (random) grooves. There are also a number
of special abstract motifs such as spirals and serpentine grooves,
empty rings, rosettes, parallel grooves and rectangular motifs.
The number of motifs at each group varies considerably (Fig. 51). Only
three rock art panels (1-11 and 33) have more than 50 motifs, but a
surprisingly high number of sites (17 panels) has only one motif, varying
from one cupmark to a (possible) axe or a single cup-and-ring motif.
M. van HOEK: 73
GEOGRAPHY