“PEÑA BENEITA”: FROM ENGRAVED ESCHEMATIC ART TO A NEW PALEOICHNOLOGICAL SITE IN THE ALCAÑICES SYNFORM (NUEZ DE ALISTE, ZAMORA, SPAIN).

1. “PEÑA BENEITA”: FROM ENGRAVED SCHEMATIC ART TO A NEW PALAEOICHNOLOGICAL SITE IN
THE ALCAÑICES SYNFORM (NUEZ DE ALISTE, ZAMORA, SPAIN)
J.M. Domínguez Fernández (Geological Society of Spain)
Introduction.
Peña Beneita, meaning “blessed rock" in old
spanish, is located 2.5 km north of Nuez de
Aliste (Zamora, Spain) and it has been long
considered by the local population and, more
recently, by the scientific community, as a
protohistoric schematic rock art site (Sastre,
J.C., 2006; Sastre, J.J. & Rodríguez, O., 2013;
Sastre, J.J. & Vazquez, J., 2013; Molina, J.J. & de
Inés, P., 2014) with “symbols of difficult
interpretation, such as snakelike, circular and
wavy forms”.
A new interpretation of the site is here
provided changing radically the significance of
the record, from archaeological to
palaeontological site.

2. “PEÑA BENEITA”: FROM ENGRAVED SCHEMATIC ART TO A NEW PALAEOICHNOLOGICAL SITE IN
THE ALCAÑICES SYNFORM (NUEZ DE ALISTE, ZAMORA, SPAIN)
J.M. Domínguez Fernández (Geological Society of Spain)
Geology.
Located at the western end of Alcañices
Synform. Stratigraphically it belongs to Rábano
Formation (González Clavijo, E., 2006) that is a
succession of shales and greywackes with
intercalations/blocks of cherts, limestones,
metavulcanites and quartzites.
The succession is classically attributed to the
Silurian-Lower Devonian transition, but recent
studies show the olistostromic character of the
formation in which some major blocks display
ages ranging from Upper Cambrian to Middle
Devonian (González Clavijo et al., 2016).
The site is a thin-bedded quartzite outcrop,
with an area of 130 m2, a recognized thickness
of 6 meters and that exhibits ripple marks,
parallel and cross lamination.
González Clavijo, E., 2006

3. “PEÑA BENEITA”: FROM ENGRAVED SCHEMATIC ART TO A NEW PALAEOICHNOLOGICAL SITE IN
THE ALCAÑICES SYNFORM (NUEZ DE ALISTE, ZAMORA, SPAIN)
J.M. Domínguez Fernández (Geological Society of Spain)
The site exhibits numerous “linear engravings” identified as ichnofossils referred to the ichnogenus
Cruziana. These are preserved as endoreliefs and, very exceptionally, as bilobed negative epireliefs
(red arrows in picture) without scratch marks observed. The fossil traces, from 5 to 7 cm wide, reachs
a variable length of up 1 meter and sometimes presents unusual circular traces.
Ichnological description.

4. “PEÑA BENEITA”: FROM ENGRAVED SCHEMATIC ART TO A NEW PALAEOICHNOLOGICAL SITE IN
THE ALCAÑICES SYNFORM (NUEZ DE ALISTE, ZAMORA, SPAIN)
J.M. Domínguez Fernández (Geological Society of Spain)
Ichnological description.
Concentrations of vertical burrows, associated with the ichnogenus Skolithos, have also been
identified. Other ichnofossils of unknown ichnogenus have been observed with a V-shaped print (red
arrows in picture).

5. “PEÑA BENEITA”: FROM ENGRAVED SCHEMATIC ART TO A NEW PALAEOICHNOLOGICAL SITE IN
THE ALCAÑICES SYNFORM (NUEZ DE ALISTE, ZAMORA, SPAIN)
J.M. Domínguez Fernández (Geological Society of Spain)
Conclusions.
Peña Beneita constitutes a new contribution to the geological heritage of the province of Zamora,
especially considering that paleontological evidence is very scarce in the area (González Clavijo, E.,
2006) and where only the ichnofossils of the Dehesa del Puerto stood out (Jordá Pardo, J.F., 2006),
until today. These palaentological evidences add new data to the current geological setting of the
area and turns it into a new geosite with scientific and pedadogical value.

6. “PEÑA BENEITA”: FROM ENGRAVED SCHEMATIC ART TO A NEW PALAEOICHNOLOGICAL SITE IN
THE ALCAÑICES SYNFORM (NUEZ DE ALISTE, ZAMORA, SPAIN)
J.M. Domínguez Fernández (Geological Society of Spain)
Acknowledgements
González Clavijo, E., 2006. La Geología del Sinforme de Alcañices, Oeste de Zamora, Nova Terra, 31, Instituto Universitario de Geología “Isidro Parga Pondal”,
Área de Xeoloxíae Minería do Seminario de Estudos Galegos, La Coruña, 31 238 p.
González Clavijo, E., et al., 2016. U/Pb age of a large dacitic block locked in an Early Carboniferous synorogenicmélange in the Parautochthon of NW Iberia: New
insights on the structure/sedimentatation Variscan interplay. Tectonophysics, 681, 159-169.
Jordá Pardo, J.F., 2006. Rocas, formas y fósiles. Patrimonio geológico de la provincia de Zamora. Cuaderno de investigación 25. Instituto de Estudios Zamoranos
Florian de Ocampo. Zamora 148 p.
Molina Hernández, J.J., de Inés Sutil, P., 2014. El arte rupestre esquemático y el poblamiento durante la Prehistoria reciente en Zamora y Salamanca.
Investigaciones Arqueológicas en el valle del Duero. Del Paleolítico a la Antigüedad Tardía: actas de las III Jornadas de Jóvenes Investigadores del Valle del Duero
Salamanca 20, 21 y 22 de noviembre de 2013, 101-117.
Sastre Blanco, J.C., 2006. Una aproximación a la puesta en valor del arte esquemático y su paisaje. La Sierra de la Culebra (Zamora). Arqueologia y Territorio, 3,
1-15.
Sastre Blanco, J.C; Rodríguez Monterrubio, O., 2013. Estado de conservación del Arte Esquemático en la provincia de Zamora: situación actual y medidas de
protección para su preservación. Actas del II Congreso de Arte Rupestre Esquemático en la Península Ibérica: Comarca de los Vélez, 5-8 de Mayo 2010, 271-
277.
Sastre Blanco, J.J., Vázquez Fadón, J., 2013. Puesta en valor y estudio del arte rupestre esquemático de la Sierra de la Culebra (Zamora)”. Arqueología en el valle
del Duero. Del Neolítico a la Antigüedad Tardía: nuevas perspectivas. La Ergástula. Zamora, pp. 333-342.
I thank the constructive and precise comments of the reviewers Emilio José Gonzalez Clavijo y Paolo
Citton. I also appreciate the support and advice of Dr. Juan Carlos Gutierrez Marcos to present this
work. Thanks to Abel Fernández Domínguez for his aerial photographs.
References