Recently a oldman of my village, Orbaizeta, I told me that some years ago He founded like "stone igloos" in a praeries area where he had walked all his life, but never, until that day he had noticed them.
In the Aralar range (Navarre and Gipuzkoa )exist "Arkuek" which would be the same structures,and the knowlegde about that is quite poor.
A good link about that (spanish):
http://www.basozaina.com/2014/03/los-arkuek-de-el-aralar-primera-parte.html
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| "Arkue" intact |
I finally went with him today (I prefer not to mention his name if he doesnt said me the opposite) and he show me the place. Certainly it is away from busy paths, and is well camouflaged.
It has a hole against the rock of the bottom, which probably serve for make fire, and due the form of the hole, prevents rain or snow can enter. Its orientation to the south, protected from the prevailing winds, is perfect.
On the right, there is another one, but unfortunately due to a slide some years ago, now is destroyed.
He does not remember any mention of these structures, and certainly is nothing similar nearby.
It has a hole against the rock of the bottom, which probably serve for make fire, and due the form of the hole, prevents rain or snow can enter. Its orientation to the south, protected from the prevailing winds, is perfect.
On the right, there is another one, but unfortunately due to a slide some years ago, now is destroyed.
He does not remember any mention of these structures, and certainly is nothing similar nearby.
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| Capping entry |
The fact that for a person who knows "almost" perfect place, with a lot of experience in those places, have gone unnoticed, and they are practically sealed, making them very valid elements for a future investigation into its origins and use.
Excuse me, for that reason, that does not give more information about its location, until they have been investigated, of which I'll try to take care giving notice to the Aranzadi Science Society, which I am a membership.
Another curious thing is the following picture:
Excuse me, for that reason, that does not give more information about its location, until they have been investigated, of which I'll try to take care giving notice to the Aranzadi Science Society, which I am a membership.
Another curious thing is the following picture:
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| Hunting tramp |
At first glance there seems not to be more than beech trees, and a rock rising on the right. As we can not see in the photo, I will comment you that in the rocks on the right, there is one small way to a closed sinkhole.
If you look deeper, you can see that there is a horizontal row of rocks, in the middle of the picture, and on the Left, another one rising at an angle of 90 °.
They were once stone walls, whose purpose, like elsewhere in Europe, were to contain wild animals in prehistoric hunting pressured from above, and animals went running to the sinkhole on the right, where stones, arrows and spears thrown from above, kill them.
If you look deeper, you can see that there is a horizontal row of rocks, in the middle of the picture, and on the Left, another one rising at an angle of 90 °.
They were once stone walls, whose purpose, like elsewhere in Europe, were to contain wild animals in prehistoric hunting pressured from above, and animals went running to the sinkhole on the right, where stones, arrows and spears thrown from above, kill them.
This whole area has abundant prehistoric remains in the form of dolmens, prehistoric funds hut, stone circles, and even menhirs. Megalithic areas like Ilarrita on Mount Okabe (Irati Behe Nafarroa) and Azpegi in the Irati of Aezkoa valley, are respectively the first and second longest in the Pyrenees.
Finally, I want to show you two photos taken with 7 days difference between April 30 and May 7, from Ibañeta (Santiago´s way).
As you can see, although not to be Irati forest, this is a natural continuation of a forest that does not know place names,and the real extention of the forest is much higher than the 17,100 hectares of Irati. We can see Orreaga Roncesvalles lower right first, and farn away Auritz / Burguete. The mountains to the left are the South of Aezkoa valley.
More words are unnecessary ...
Finally, I want to show you two photos taken with 7 days difference between April 30 and May 7, from Ibañeta (Santiago´s way).
As you can see, although not to be Irati forest, this is a natural continuation of a forest that does not know place names,and the real extention of the forest is much higher than the 17,100 hectares of Irati. We can see Orreaga Roncesvalles lower right first, and farn away Auritz / Burguete. The mountains to the left are the South of Aezkoa valley.
More words are unnecessary ...
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