Pyrenean megaliths

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Occabé

altitude 1380 m.

When evocating French megaliths we consider Brittany. There are still thousands of them outside Brittany. The greatest concentration of dolmens in the world is in the South of France, in the Causses. I present thereafter some monuments in Western Pyrenees.

This map shows main concentrations of megalithic tombs in the South of France.

Dolmens and "Cromlechs"

Different types of monuments are found in Western Pyrenees:

the dolmens. In this area, they are chamber tombs, with one or several corpses; they could be used several tiles, had an access from the East, generally built on some high ground with great view towards the East. They were covered by a tumulus often disappeared today. There number is here about hundred, they were used from 4000 to 2000 BC.

the "cromlechs". In Western Pyrenees, they are stone circles, with a diameter of about 5 meters. They are the apparent remains of sepultures which included: in the center ashes of one or several dead, then as protection a cist or some stones, then an earth mound surrounded by the stone circle. These circles are grouped in necropolis with 5 to 20 circles. They are here dated from 1500 to 500 years BC, some from 1000 AD. One necropolis could be used during several hundred years. The necropolis is often located along a crest with an extraordinary panorama.
The usual word cromlechs ambiguous. It relates to monuments of various dimensions, of various vocations: ritual, cosmic, sepulchral. It is not used by the specialists any more, they prefer to refer to stone circles. A pity we used a Celtic word, the Celts have nothing to do with the megaliths nor the Pyrenees, instead of the word baratze used by the Basks.

What do these to types of monuments have in common?
They are in the same areas. We find a cult towards the rising sun associated to a cult towards the dead . Progressively people went from inhumation to incineration.

Some menhirs, some stone circles with a ritual vocation are found, in addition to these sepulchral monuments.

Description References Français Claude Lantz

Created on June 10, 2001. Last update: 12/02/04 .