Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The cromlechs of Ilarrita, also called cromlechs of Okabe, are megalithic monuments located in the municipality of Lecumberry, in the department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. These structures date from the Iron Age and Protohistory, and have been classified as Historic Monument since December 19, 1956. They bear witness to the cultural and ritual practices of the local populations of that time, in a context of Lower Navarre, a region rich in varied and complex heritage.

Lecumberry, or Lekunberri in Basque, is a rural municipality in the country of Cize, southeast of Lower Navarre. This region, marked by a strong Basque identity, is bordering Spain and is characterized by mountainous terrain, with peaks such as Errozate (1,345 m) and Mokorreta (680 m). The cromlechs of Ilarrita are part of a landscape where the protohistoric remains, such as Gastellucomalda, testify to an ancient occupation of the territory.

The municipality of Lecumberry, with 196 inhabitants in 2023, is mainly oriented towards agriculture, including the breeding and production of cheese Ossau-Iraty. It is part of the production area of the Irouléguy vineyard. Cromlechs, as an archaeological heritage, illustrate the importance of the collective and spiritual practices of protohistoric societies in this cross-border region, where cultural exchanges between Basque populations on both sides of the Pyrenees were frequent.

The classification of the Ilarita cromlechs in 1956 underscores their heritage value and their role in understanding the region's megalithic traditions. These monuments, combined with other remains such as the Donamartia Fort House (XIVth century) or the Iturraldea Farm (17th century), reflect the historical and cultural continuity of Lecumberry, from the Protohistory to the modern era.

The environmental context of Lecumberry, marked by the Iraty Forest and the numerous rivers such as the Nive and the Iratiko erreka, has also played a role in the preservation and discovery of these archaeological sites. The Mikelauensilo Cave, inhabited by bats and linked to smuggling stories, illustrates the diversity of the traditional landscapes and uses of the territory, where natural and cultural heritage are closely linked.

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