Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The alignment of I Stanari is a megalithic ensemble located on the plateau of Cauria, in Sartène, South Corsica. Composed of fifty-five monoliths, including statues-menhirs, it was mentioned in the late nineteenth century, but the first detailed descriptions date back to 1964, when Roger Grosjean discovered twenty-two monoliths, including seven statues-menhirs. The latter, like Cauria II and IV, present phallic sculptures, stylized faces, swords and anatomical details, suggesting a warlike or ritual origin.

The site underwent five phases of occupation, from the Middle Neolithic to the abandonment after the Roman conquest. The main phase, between 1415 and 880 BC, corresponds to the peak of the site, with straight alignments, terraces and archaeological furniture (ceramics, lithic tools). The statues, initially painted in red ochre, were restored after the excavations. A phase of destruction, between 200 and 50 B.C., preceded their reuse in agricultural fences.

Ranked a historic monument in 1975, the site consists of three stone lines, two facing north-south and a third, now lying, aligned north-east/south-west. The statues-menhirs, like Cauria VIII (preserved at the Museum of Sartene), illustrate the megalithic art of Corsica, marked by Sardinian influences. Their discovery allowed us to better understand the funeral and symbolic practices of the Bronze Age in the Mediterranean.

The 1964 and 2002 excavations revealed a variety of tools (silex, obsidian, cooked clay) and traces of fires associated with the destruction of the site. Prosper Mérimée and Adrien de Mortillet had previously mentioned these alignments, but not to mention the sculptures. Grosjean also identified a hematite bucket, indicating the use of pigments to decorate monoliths.

The site, associated with the dolmen of nearby Fontanaccia, bears witness to continuous occupation and architectural transformations. Menhir statues, with their warrior attributes (swords, shoulder-baudiers), could represent leaders or deities. Their style, close to Sardinian figures, highlights cultural exchanges in the Western Mediterranean during the Bronze Age.

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