Seven tumuli of Ibarnaba à Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette dans les Pyrénées-Atlantiques

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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The seven tumuli of Ibarnaba constitute a funeral complex located in the valley of the same name, in the commune of Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette. These structures, typical of protohistoric or ancient burials, bear witness to ancient funeral practices in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Their presence in this mountainous area suggests an organized human occupation from remote times, although their precise dating is not mentioned in the available sources.

The site was officially recognized as a Historic Monument by a registration order on December 20, 1960, under the cadastral reference B 4. This legal protection underlines its heritage importance, although the accessible archives do not detail their search or their precise cultural attribution. The location, noted as "passable" (level 5/10) in the Merimée base, corresponds to the place called Vallon-d'Ibarnaba, close to the hamlet of Equirassy. This classification is part of a desire to preserve regional archaeological remains, frequent in historical Aquitaine.

The commune of Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette, identified by the code Insee 64015, belongs to the department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Nova Scotia region). This territory, marked by rugged terrain and rural history, is home to several traces of ancient settlements. Tumuli, often associated with local elites or sedentary communities, could be used as territorial markers or as places of collective memory. Their study would help inform the social and cultural dynamics of the Pyrenean populations before the medieval period.

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