Timeline

Heritage classified

Origin and history

The cromlechs of Bilheres, located in the Atlantic Pyrenees, date from the Iron Age and Protohistory. These megalithic monuments, typical of prehistoric buildings, are composed of erect stones forming a circle or alignment. Their exact function remains debated, but they may have had a ritual or funeral role in the ancient societies of the region.

The site has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1889, reflecting its heritage importance. Cromlechs are located on the cadastre of the commune under plots C 3, 5, 6, 8 to 10. Their precise location is estimated to be poor (note 5/10), but their presence is attested in the Merimée database, with an administrative address at Bilhères (code Insee 64128). These remains now belong to the municipality.

At the Iron Age and during Protohistory, local populations lived mainly in agriculture, livestock and handicrafts. Monuments such as cromlech could serve as territorial landmarks, places of worship or collective burials. Their construction reflects a complex social organization, capable of mobilizing resources to build sustainable structures, often linked to community beliefs or practices.

The classification of 1889 is part of a desire to preserve the French megalithic heritage, then threatened by agricultural and industrial transformations. This site, like others in Aquitaine (now New Aquitaine), illustrates the archaeological richness of the region, marked by an ancient and diversified human occupation.

No information is available on the current accessibility of the site, its openness to the public or any associated services (visits, accommodation). The data come mainly from the Monumentum database and the Merimée archives, without further details on excavations or possible discoveries.

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