Annexus Quam
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Gorafe
Mar 22, 2003, 07:20
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It is scary to think that when lots of dementia's going on in many places, cars crashing in infested motorways and while ignorant sexless boring arseholes with nothing better to do keep thinking about the best way to look powerful in public by bombing other nations, there's a lonely shepherd lying in glorious peace on some grassy windswept mountain somewhere in the world. There's a funny dualism between the post-Mesolithic/pre-Neolithic community-based localism and the Copper/Bronze Age frantic search for metal by the ancient United Shames of Empires, travelling all over the world and changing huge seaside communities first, as everyone started to adopt the emblems of power and the funerary traditions of the new warrior-like gods.
I talked to this shepherd as I ended an intense and very steep climb up the hills that surround some sleepy village in the arid mountains called Gorafe, an evocative name if ever there was one. After a couple of questions about the area, I had to slow down. It's so usual to talk speedily, leaving no gaps in a conversation when talking to the 'civilized' people in society. I almost shudder to think that this guy cared nothing about 'getting bored' by my words about the amazing passage graves with perforated holes we were standing next to; in fact, it was the first time I've felt we had all the time in the world to talk to each other; and, anyway, I was so distracted by the anachronistic fact that this human anomaly, whose ancient language I hardly understood, was wearing an extremely cool psychedelic shirt, you know, like those worn by the 'paisly underground' fraternity back in the 80s. Truly we've lost it, and to recover the slow-evolving ancient muse of non-linear Time is harder than you think.
Gorafe is a fantastic discovery. 200 dolmens (some of them have already fallen over) lie precariously perched along very high cliffs in a long canyon created by a tiny but insistent stream, which is now usually dry (not last month though) due to the climate change of the last few hundred years. An amphitheatre of several snow-capped mountain ranges surround the uplands making it a beautiful place to stand on. To think of this area as fertile is scary, but megalithic evidence makes it the densest place you can think of, in terms of visits of dolmens per minute. Huge necropolis are easy to walk by, and their entrances at times play with the visitor, as they are orientated alternatively SE and SW, and always intervisible. Connections with the famous metal cultures of Millares are quite possible, and I am sure many locals then would be as revolted as most people today by the current despicable and, frankly very ugly bug-eyed, warmongering characters.
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Rhiannon
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Re: Gorafe
Mar 26, 2003, 13:34
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AQ, I thought your message was very interesting. Perhaps Mr Cope will be covering the area in his next tome? I found a few photos at http://altipla.com/gorafe/neolitico.htm
and I also read that there are plans for an information centre for the area.. I don't know what you think of that
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Annexus Quam
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Re: Gorafe
Mar 27, 2003, 14:36
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Thanks, Rhiannon. I had vaguely heard of the place but wasn’t expecting it to be so friendly in terms of accessibility. Most villages don’t care much for their heritage, but the situation’s changing fast due to popular demand and Gorafe is a pioneering village in terms of cooperation from their council. I have spoken to the lady in charge, a funky dolmen enthusiast who’s sent me a few of their great books about the area. Did you know the village is twinned with the Sardinian nuraghi? Yes, Julian’ll be checking this one out on one of his various trips through Iberia and will hopefully be in the coming Antiquarian.
Didn’t quite get your last question, if it’s about information centres they are popping up all over these heritage villages. They are generally good as long as they keep them as they are in an environmental and culturally-aware sort of walking route system. Although much of the time they also mean (especially the accessible ones) loads of offal all over the sites (that is beginning to include candles and flowers, though much of the Iberian peninsula is quite pre-new age in a way and very rough in terms of megalithic 'theme parks'; the good thing is, you still have to ask the shepherds who are the only people you will ever meet).
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FourWinds
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Re: Gorafe
Mar 27, 2003, 15:36
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At first I had thought that I had heard of this place, but then I remembered why. It was a Wexford farmer that once said to me, "Oi, Goroff my larnd!"
You can see where the error lies.
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