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The aim of this work is to publish the rock engravings of Monte das Porreira 6, located in the council of Paredes de Coura, in the Northwest of Portugal. The study was based on photogrammetric surveys and subsequent contrast recurring to geometric distance determination./nIt is a profusely decorated rock with a long diachrony of carving. The initial phase includes Classical Atlantic Art, integrated in the regional Neo-Chalcolithic period. The second phase includes representation of several types of equids, horsemen, and antenna-hilted daggers. Based on parallels for such weapons, it is possible to integrate these motifs between the Late Bronze Age and an Early Iron Age of North-western Iberia. /nIt is also possible to observe a change from an abstract grammar, during the first phase, to a figurative grammar, in which we can identify a narrative related to human and animal sacrifices, associated with the use of antenna-hilted daggers. These depictions recall a symbolism reminiscent of Strabo's writings, including bronze objects containing sacrificial scenes. The final phase of engraving indicates new symbolic changes, with valorisation of isolated actions perpetrated by horsemen, carrying throwing weapons, which may be a representation of a deity or hero. El objetivo de este trabajo es publicar los grabados rupestres del Monte das Porreira 6, situado en Paredes de Coura, en el no de Portugal. El estudio se ha basado en un levantamiento fotogramétrico y el posterior contraste con la determinación de la distancia geométrica./nSe trata de una roca profusamente decorada con una larga diacronía de grabados. La fase inicial incluye el arte atlántico clásico, integrado en el Calcolítico Reciente. La segunda fase incluye la representación de équidos, jinetes y puñales con mango de antenas. Basándose en los paralelos de dichas armas, es posible integrar estos motivos entre la Edad de Bronce Final y la Edad de Hierro Inicial. /nTambién es posible observar el paso de una gramática abstracta, durante la primera fase, a una gramática figurativa, en la que se puede identificar una narrativa relacionada con los sacrificios humanos y de animales, asociada al uso de puñales con mango de antenas. Estas representaciones evocan un simbolismo que recuerda a los textos de Estrabón y objetos de bronce que contienen escenas de sacrificio. La última fase del grabado indica nuevos cambios simbólicos, con la valorización de acciones aisladas perpetradas por un jinete, portando un arma arrojadiza, que pueden representar a una divinidad o a un héroe.

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This work aims to study the context of engraved weapons dating back to the Late Chalcolithic/ Early Bronze Age, located in the South-west of Galicia and North-west of Portugal. It is assumed that prehistoric and premodern societies experience the surrounding physical world and its forms as full of meanings, and not as simple sets of random entities. The physical elements forming the landscape, such as rivers, mountains or rocks, were seen and felt as meaningful. Thus, the rock art within that meaningful world materialises some ideas and meanings from the communities, which engraved these motifs or, in some cases, even added new ones. In this sense, engraved panels with similar iconography may occur in similar contexts. Weapon engravings in outcrops were presented in an active or passive position. There are some differences in the contextual location of each group that lead to some interpretations regarding their meaning within an animistic perspective of experiencing the world. The first group, which is most unusual, occurred in high altitude places, that is, in the platforms of higher slopes of certain impressive and rocky hills, close to wetlands. Taking into consideration its physical context and the orientation of the weapons in the rock, these places seem to materialise a cosmogony connected to the solar cycle, the stars and the symbolic importance of some hills, that seem to have served as structuring places of the Bronze Age landscape. The group of places with passive weapon engravings is more heterogeneous in physical contexts but are always within an intimate scenario. They seem to relate to intersection areas and several natural paths connecting the lower lands with the middle or higher lands. The orientation of the weapons in the rock is also heterogeneous, but seems to indicate the importance of votive offering to deities of the outcrops, the water sources and the earth., This work was accomplished within the scope of the project Paisagem e Representação do Poder na Pré-história Recente: Arte Atlântica e Estátuas-Menir, developed byManuel Santos Estévez, post-doctoral fellowship (ref. SFRH/BPD/93700/2013), and the pro-jectNorth-western Iberia Rock Art. Liminality and He-terotopy, developed by Ana M. S. Bettencourt, research fellowship (ref. SFRH/BSAB/114296/2016). Both pro-jects are funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT)., info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion

Dissertação de mestrado em Arqueologia, O objetivo primordial desta dissertação é aumentar o conhecimento sobre as manifestações de arte rupestre nacional. Para tal, decidiu-se estudar os círculos segmentados no espaço circunscrito do Noroeste de Portugal. Para a realização deste trabalho foi necessário elaborar uma lista de objetivos a responder. Para o efeito recorreu-se à vasta bibliografia existente sobre o tema, trabalho de campo (através da prospeção arqueológica) e trabalho de gabinete, através do uso das novas tecnologias. A conjugação de todas estas ferramentas possibilitou construir um inventário e discutir os dados obtidos, o que permitiu responder a todos os objetivos que se definiram. Deste modo, foi possível perceber que os círculos segmentados, considerados pré-históricos, ocorrem em 29 afloramentos desta região, quer destacados do solo ou rasante ao mesmo. Neste conjunto foram contabilizados 125 motivos. Através dos dados recolhidos, percebeu-se que estes afloramentos se situam, na sua maioria, abaixo dos 700 metros de altitude, em locais de fácil acesso, sobretudo, na base e a meio da vertente de montes. A proximidade com recursos hídricos é um cenário que ocorre em todos os afloramentos. Relativamente à proximidade com recursos mineiros observa-se que, uma parte significativa dos dados revela especial proximidade com recursos de estanho. Todos os afloramentos gravados que possuem uma boa exposição solar, existindo uma grande parte deles onde se consegue contemplar o movimento do sol no horizonte, na sua totalidade, isto é, desde o nascente ao ocaso, em várias épocas do ano. Nos afloramentos que possuem uma visibilidade parcial para o mesmo acontecimento, revela-se uma maior tendência para a observação do ocaso. Através da observação, à microescala de análise, da inter-relação destes motivos gravados com outros estilos de arte rupestre e conjugando-os com vários paralelos existentes, considera-se que estes motivos começaram a ser gravados no início da Idade do Bronze, ocorrendo, com maior frequência, durante todo este período e terminado no início da Idade do Ferro. Partindo desta hipótese, observou-se a proximidade entre alguns afloramentos com círculos segmentados e povoados da Idade do Bronze, tendo-se verificado que os lugares gravados se inserem, sistematicamente, no território teórico de exploração destes, embora com tendência para se localizarem na periferia, o que pode ser significativo e marcar divisórias entre espaços para diferentes funções. A proximidade de muitos lugares gravados a recursos de estanho parece ser mais um dado atribuído para esta cronologia. Quanto às interpretações, as orientações dos painéis gravados, a distribuição espacial dos círculos segmentados nos afloramentos e a orientação dos seus segmentos indiciam que estes representam o movimento solar em determinados momentos do ano, bem como expressam conhecimentos sobre determinadas estrelas, podendo assim, admitir-se que são, simultaneamente, observatórios astronómicos e lugares de culto solar. A relação dos círculos segmentados com quadrúpedes, especialmente equídeos e barquiformes, que ocorrem principalmente no litoral, permitem colocar a hipótese de que estes lugares representam ideologias solares de inspiração nórdica, chegadas através da navegação atlântica., The main objective of this work is to increase the knowledge about specific topic related to Portuguese rock art. To this end, it was decided to study the engraved prehistoric segmented circles in the circumscribed space of the Northwest of Portugal. To carry out this work, a list of objectives was prepared. For this purpose, it was used the vast existing bibliography available related on the subject, so as fieldwork (through archaeological prospecting and photography) and office work (including the use of new technologies, such as photogrammetry). The combination of all these tools allowed to build an inventory, and to discuss the collected data, shedding light about possible answers to the defined objectives. It was possible to perceive that segmented circles dating back from prehistoric times occur in 29 archaeological sites of the region, either engraved on outcrops detached from the ground or leveled with it. In this set of outcrops, 125 motifs were counted. Through the data collected, it was noticed that these archaeological sites are mainly located below 700 meters of altitude, occupying places of easy access, specially at the base or in the middle of the slopes of different hills. Their proximity to water resources occurs in all archaeological sites, regarding their proximity to mining resources, it is also observed that a significant part of the data reveals a special affinity to tin resources. All engraved outcrops have good sun exposure, with a large part of them allowing the contemplation of the entirely sun movement on the horizon, that is, from sunrise to sunset, and at various times of the year. In rock art sites that have partial visibility for the same event, it was detected a greater tendency to observe the sunset. Through the observation, at the micro-scale of analysis, interrelating these engraved motifs with other rock art styles, and combining them with several known parallels, it is considered that segmented circles began to be engraved at the beginning of the Bronze Age, occurring, more frequently, throughout this period, and ending at the beginning of the Iron Age. Based on this hypothesis, it was observed the proximity between some rock art sites with engraved segmented circles to settlements dating from the Bronze Age. What was verified is that the engraved places are systematically inserted in the theoretical territory of exploration of those settlements, although with a tendency to be located on their periphery. That raises the question of either, or not, these motifs could have been significant, marking divisionsbetween spaces with different functions. The proximity of many rock art sites to tin resources seems to be another factor attributed to this chronology. As for the interpretations, the orientations of the engraved panels, the spatial distribution of the segmented circles in the rock surfaces, and the orientation of their segments indicate that they could be representing the solar movement at certain times of the year, as well as expressing knowledge about certain stars. Thus, it is possible to admit that these sites are, at the same time, astronomical observatories, and places dedicated to solar worship. The relationship of segmented circles with quadrupeds, especially equines and boats, which occur mainly on the Atlantic coast, allows us to hypothesize that these places may represent solar ideologies related to Nordic inspiration and myths, that may arrived here through navigation.

[Excerpt] Weapons and tools are frequently found depicted in rock art in many parts of the globe and different periods and in varying social contexts. This collection of papers by leading rock art specialists examines the subjective and metaphorical value of weapons and tools in art, the actions that created them, and their contexts. It also takes into account that such representations incorporate and transmit some kind of understanding about the world and the relationship between objects and humans. Contributors analyse objects and weapons as status symbols, as evidences of cultural contacts, as ideological devices, etc. Divided into regional sections which, for once, do not focus on Scandinavia, chapters deal with the representations of weapons and certain kinds of tools (such as axes and sickles) in different prehistoric, protohistoric and traditional community contexts all over the world. Attention focuses on rock art, but also looks at stelae and statue-menhirs, as well as other kinds of ‘container’ or vehicle for this kind of depiction. The major concern is to discuss the possible meanings of these embodied signs in different areas and periods, since meanings are permeable both to time and space. Papers either centre their attention in broader approaches based on a specific area, region or people, or focus on particular case studies. [...]