Castromaior
LugoGalicia
Descriptive compound toponym from the Latin castrum maior ('the greater castro, the big castro'), a comparative applied to one of the most extensive Celtic castros in the Galician pre-Roman network —distinguished thus by its size in relation to other nearby minor castros. The archaeological site documents occupation from the 4th century BC until the 1st century AD.
Evolution of the name
- castrum maior Latin 1st centuries BC — 5th AD
- Castromaior medieval Galician from the 12th century
Reflections, to the letter
One of the most extensive Celtic castros in the peninsular northwest, on the hill above the village. Five hectares, three concentric walls, more than a hundred houses excavated since 2006. The Latin epithet maior distinguishes it from other smaller castros nearby, and medieval toponymy fixed it as the name of the place. The pilgrim crossing can climb to the site in fifteen minutes —panoramic view over the entire Miño depression down to the Belesar reservoir.
Glossary
- Castreño culture
- Prehistoric civilisation of the peninsular northwest (Galicia, northern Portugal, western Asturias and Cantabria), developed between the end of the Bronze Age and the Roman conquest (8th century BC — 1st century AD). Its most distinctive feature is the fortified hilltop settlement —the castro—, with circular houses and dry-stone walls. Galicia preserves more than five thousand documented castros.
- Castrum
- A Roman military camp, originally permanent or seasonal, frequently reused in the Early Middle Ages as a defensive nucleus. The origin of hundreds of peninsular (Castro, Castrillo, Castrojeriz) and British toponyms (-chester, -caster: Manchester, Lancaster).
Sources
- Navaza, G. — Toponimia de Galicia
- Concello de Portomarín — Inventario arqueológico
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