|
THE NEOLITHIC PERIOD AND MEGALITHISM
|
The period of history known as the Neolithic dates from 5,500 to 2,500 BC. This was when our ancestors progressively abandoned their nomadic life style as hunters and harvesters to occupy land permanently (settling) and live from agriculture and cattle farming. They planted crops (mainly wheat and barley) and then farmed animals (cows, goats and sheep). This process of change was slow but continuous.
This new form of life involved the development of a series of technical innovations – the first tools were made of polished stone (hatchets, adzes etc), pottery was invented (different types of pots and bowls). The first groups of houses also arose at this time (little villages of small basic huts made of perishable materials such as wood, clay, straw etc, and archaeologically very difficult to find) and new religious rites and funeral customs were introduced.
It was these new rites that gave rise to the building of the monumental tombs known in Galicia by many different names (burial mounds, barrows, dolmens etc). They identify a highly characteristic feature of prehistory known as Megalithism.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mounds Map
Chan do Labrador Mound.
Chan dos Touciños Mound 1.
Chan dos Touciños Mound 2.
Chan dos Touciños Mound 3.
Chan dos Touciños Mound 4.
Ferradouro Mound 1.
Ferradouro Mound 2.
Costa Freiría Mound 3.
Costa Freiría Mound 2.
Costa Freiría Mound 1.
Vixiador Mound.
|
|
In our city 37 burial mounds have been discovered, most of them on the small plains of the surrounding mountains. We could highlight the mounds of Candeán, A Madroa, Alto de San Cosme, Alto de San Colmado and Rebullón, and Cotogrande. Many of them have suffered intense alterations and in some cases total destruction while others have disappeared for a variety of reasons, mainly due to people’s ignorance of their historical and cultural value.
The greatest concentration of mounds is in the parish of Candeán, to the north east of the municipality, very close to Redondela behind the foothills which go up from the south west to the north east towards the Alto de Coto Ferreira. The minimum height is roughly 300 meters above sea level, reaching almost 440 meters on the peak of Mount Vixiador.
O EXPOLIO DAS MÁMOAS |
|
MATERIAL DIVULGATIVO
Poñemos á vosa disposición material divulgativo dirixido ao profesorado e ao alumnado co ánimo de facilitar a visita dos centros escolares á Área Arquelóxica e difundir información sobre o noso patrimonio e a necesidade da súa conservación polas xeracións vindeiras. O material foi creado polo equipo de investigadores que levaron a cabo a intervención na necrópole.
Tamén podedes consultar desde aquí diferentes publicacións e enlaces relacionados co patrimonio arqueolóxico.
|
