Contribution à l'étude des cercles de pierres en Pays Basque de France

Abstract

ABSTRACT Of modest size and aspect, these circles of stone slabs constitute a noteworthy feature of the Basque mountainside. Bits of charred bone and vestiges of charcoal probably link them to incinerary rites in use from the Mid-Bronze Age to the end of the Iron Age. However, the contrast between their careful construction and the poverty of their contents indicates their symbolic nature, cenotaphs rather than real graves. They seem to be linked to pastoral activity in the mountains, being found near sheep pens and the tracks used by shepherds and their flocks. This specific characteristic may reflect phenomena of complex accultural processes among ancient peoples with strong traditions established in a mountainous region that appears to have been both a dynamic, innovative melting pot, and a sanctuary up to historical times, for the people, their language, and their protohistoric funerary rites.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 16 citations exist upstream.