Heritage Rock Art Archaeological Park
A journey through stone labyrinths
The rock engravings of Campo Lameiro are unique in Europe
The pleasant walk along the splendid route of the petroglyphs of Campo Lameiro has nine stops, each with a natural rock mural on which our ancestors depicted hunting scenes, mysterious labyrinths, weapons and other images. A small panel at each of these stations serves as a guide to differentiate the lines engraved by the hand of man from the natural markings on the stone.
Some, such as the Laxe dos Carballos, are magnificent and beautiful large canvases carved in the stone in which several scenes can be perfectly distinguished within a choral composition. In the Outeiro dos Cogoludos we will feel the magic of the labyrinths of the Bronze Age. The mystery of what they represented is still unknown today.
The visit to the archaeological area ends with a stop at the Bronze Age settlement. This is a high-quality recreation, with several huts, storage structures and animal enclosures, all built with the same materials used by our ancestors. It is the perfect end to reproduce how the Galicians lived 4,000 years ago.
Historical pieces and technology
Panels, screens, replicas and ancient artefacts found in the excavations, such as flakes, knives and arrowheads, guide us on our journey into the past.
The exhibition, inside the Parque Arqueológico de Arte Rupestre building, offers us some answers to the questions we ask ourselves on the outside route and presents the information in a didactic, visual, simple and attractive way. As we move through the exhibition, distributed in nine sectors, we can observe and visit the interior of a hut reproduced with all its utensils to learn more about the domestic life of the Galicians of the Bronze Age, and we also find the surprising life-size replica of a hunter, dressed from head to toe with his skins to keep warm and the weapons he used in the search for animals to feed on.
A haunting soundtrack accompanies us on the tour. The sound comes from a room in which a spectacular seven and a half minute video is projected. The production, on three large screens and with acoustics that envelop us, takes us back to the time when the petroglyphs were made and presents us with different hypotheses formulated by researchers to explain the meaning of these engravings.
The visit ends with a section that makes us aware of the importance of preserving the fragile examples of rock art in the face of the slow process of degradation that they have undergone over the centuries.
The Park building is another of the attractions of this capital of European rock art. The shape of its elongated and irregular body evokes the figure of the deer engraved in the rocks thousands of years ago. The roof of the building, made of stone slabs, changes colour during the day with the play of colour produced by natural light. The structure emerges from the ground to become part of a magical landscape in which we find, drawn in the stone, a part of our history.
The elongated body of the Park's building evokes the shape of the deer drawn 4,000 years ago and emerges from the ground to blend into the landscape.
And to complete the day...
Campo Lameiro has other attractions that can be visited to complete the archaeological excursion. The river Lérez flows through the municipality, and there we find the river beach of Redonde, ideal for resting. It is surrounded by oak groves with tables, swings and other equipment to spend a few hours relaxing in the middle of nature. The Rozas and San Brais oak groves are particularly beautiful.
And if we are talking about natural spaces, we find a wonderful one in the Agüeiros mountain, with impressive panoramic views and another important trace of our past. There is the Penalba hillfort, one of the oldest in Galicia, dating from the 8th century B.C. At the top of the hill is another petroglyph, Pedra da Serpe; and nearby, 400 metres away, is Rotea do Mendo.
