La Fajana rock engravings
The rock engravings of La Fajana ( span. Grabados rupestres de La Fajana ) are petroglyphs on a rock wall in a valley on the to Spain belonging Canary Island of La Palma . They come from the indigenous people of the island ( Benahoaritas ) who lived here until the 15th century, and are among their most important cultural legacies.
These petroglyphs were discovered by accident in 1982. A little later, further rock engravings were found at a nearby location ( rock engravings by El Cementerio ).
place
The place is located near the city of El Paso in the Barranco de las Canales valley at the foot of a three meter wide and four meter high rock wall made of basalt rock , the Lomo de La Fajana . This is how these petroglyphs got their name, as the Canarian (from Portuguese) place name Fajana is a name for a plain at the foot of a steep wall or a slope consisting of loosened rocks. The rock with the rock engravings is located on a hill from which the surroundings, especially the valley, can be overlooked.
Illustrations
The rock engravings are located on a large area that is oriented to the northwest. All petroglyphs are complex, closely spaced geometrical figures. Only a single rock engraving is a little to the left and isolated from the other petroglyphs. The petroglyphs are significantly smaller, but more complex than the nearby rock engravings by El Cementerio . Most noticeable are large spirals and meanders . Furthermore, circles and parallel lines can be recognized as shapes. So far it is unknown what the images are actually supposed to represent. Possibly these are simplified representations of water, in particular springs, rivers, streams etc., the sun or symbols for natural phenomena.
The rock engravings were probably partially carved into the rock wall with a stone, which enabled indentations of various depths and widths to be created. On the other hand, the petroglyphs were carved into the rock with a pointed stone, creating finer lines.
meaning
The actual meaning of the images is unknown. It is assumed, however, that they served religious purposes, i.e. the worship of the sun, moon or water or certain gods (e.g. Abora , the main god of the indigenous people). The rock engravings may also be related to religious and magical practices, such as fertility rituals or rain magic. Other views argue that the images served as markings for paths or as delimitation of areas. However, the fact that the petroglyphs can only be found sporadically and mostly in the immediate vicinity of caves speaks against the latter view.
Web links
Coordinates: 28 ° 39 '27.37 " N , 17 ° 53' 0.93" W.