Water Archaeology 1- Introductory Slide: This is a traditional Galician saying. It refers to how important water is for Galicians, since it is the driving force behind life in our land. Water is the element that makes the land energy flow. It used to represent the dynamism on which the existence of human beings and nature is based. Water rules over humans, conditioning their settlements. 2- Mamoas (Dolmens) and Calcolithic (transitional period between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age): As we can see, water was the key factor leading to these ancient settlements in our region. Here we can watch the oldest remains that can bear testimony to those settlements and notice their connection with the river courses. 3- Petroglyphs (Red coviñas – small caves. Black -figurative): 1- We have remains of petroglyphs all over our valley from the Neolithic Period and the Bronze Age, which are also related to the main river courses. 2- The “coviñas” ( small caves) are related to worship rituals in which water may have had a relevant role. 4- Celtic Villages: The distribution of the large number of Celtic villages (prior to the arrival of the Romans) in our region can also be clearly linked up with the river courses. 5- Native Deities: The devotion to water can be seen in the primitive pantheon where two deities stand out: God Reve , apparently connected with thermal springs, and Goddess Navia, to whom the Galician rivers seemto have been consecrated. It is usual to find remains of offerings in lakes, rivers and marshes, which were places where religious ceremonies were held, placesof worship. 6- Rome: After the arrival of the Romans the territory was re-arranged around the capital of the Roman Támega (Aquae Flaviae, nowadays Chaves, in Portugal). Once more we can notice how important the river courseswere for human settlements. 7- Present-day settlements: Water is still at present a relevant factor as far as settlements in our region are concerned.Yet, while in the past, as we have seen, water ruled over humans, conditioning the place where they took up residence, now humans have managed to control water and use it for their own advantage. 8- Fountains: Fountains and springs have always supplied us with water. Remains of the plentiful fountains built by the Romans are still preserved.
Devotion to fountains is outstanding in Roman mythology (nymphs). It has survived in Galicia and epigraphic remains can still be seen. “Artificial fountains” can be found inside churches. As a matter of fact here (click) you have a baptismal front in O Cebreiro, Lugo, in which the newborns used to be immersed, though nowadays the rite consists of pouring water on the newborn’s head. 9- Irrigation: One of the advantages of piped water is that it helps to increase productivity in agriculture since it favours irrigation farming. 10- Monterrei Castle: Military settlements were also determined by the presence of water. Thus, Monterrei fortress, after which our region is named, has a well (click) and nearby there is an ancient mediaeval fountain (click), which was protected by a neighbouring tower in the 17th century (The Watchtower).
11- Waterwheels: A significant use of water, with abundant remains in our region, is its use a driving force, which can be seen in the waterwheels built next to the rivers. However, almost all of them have fallen into disuse.
12- Thermal baths: Undoubtedly, water was also enjoyed as leisure time pleasure. In fact, the Romans built thermal baths which could be enjoyed by the inhabitants of the towns (click) near Verín. We can seethe remains of the Roman thermal baths in Chaves(Aquae Flaviae in Roman Times) 13- Thermal springs: The region is rich in springs which were already known in times gone by. Some of them are still exploited (Sousas, Cabreiroá, Fontenova) but for others the good old times have vanished (Caldeliñas, Requeixo). 14- Bridges: The river courses could mean an obstacle to the traffic of people and goods. The Romans overcame that obstacle by building bridges like this one we are watching, from Chaves. There were bridges in Verín and Vilaza which allowed to connect with the 14th Roman Way. On the bridge in Chavesthere is an inscription, the so-called “Padrâo dos Pobos”, which lists the names of the villages nearby which collaborated on building the bridge. 15- The End: There would be so much to say about water... But our intention has been just to provide a brief panorama of the importance water has aways had and still has for human beings.