... and the answer is... Photo

Photographer’s Note

Do you remember my last photo? Really it was a question and here is the answer.

And also I know some of you knew the right answer.

This is not for animals. They are medieval graves.

For Christian people it was very important save the body of the deads because they believe about the Ressurection. Some people doubt about if they were Christian or Muslim people but they were Christian.
These graves were from the times when the Christian came back to the Duero's valley and they are in old settlements. We only preserve these holes in the rocks and also the ground of their old churches.
It was the most important for them.

The people who lived here had nothing to built their houses but wood.
They were in the mountain but in this kind of mountain they could not obtain stone to make their houses. Why? The kind of stone and also because they were poor.

They lived inside the forest and they could harvest nothing. They were hunters and also they picked up fruits from the forest. Maybe they could have also animals for them, but they could not survive with this poor economy.

The tombs are in the rock and this rock was the the old church. Then the graves were inside and around the church and they are anthropomorphic. And also it is able see very very little tombs. That means there was a lot kids who passed away when they were too young.

Maybe the people who was here passed away (we know there was a lot of little kids deads and we know how some villages disappeared due some strong epidemy), maybe they went down to the valleys,... the only sure, the villages disappeared.
These villages appear in old documents and we preserve the old graves and the ground of the old churches.
The stones want to speak and explain something about their strange story.

Their houses were built with wood and maybe with "adobe" (sorry, I don't know the english word... could some one translate it?) and they disappeared.

Nowadays... the myth is alive.

I hope you like it.

WS I
WS II

feather, danos, sunamoon, alainh, Cretense, bukitgolfb301, emjleclercq, AiresSantos, Charo has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

leonorkuhn (13559) 2009-06-25 16:07

Hola Carlos,

Muy interesante sitio arqueológico. Creo que fue un gran trabajo excavar las tumbas en la roca.
Me gusta mucho la composición, excelentes colores y detalles.

Saludos,
Leonor

jasmis (50248) 2009-06-25 23:12

Interesting lesson of an ancient history. Splendid idea. Superb photos.
Regards.

Dragut (1957) 2009-06-26 0:30

Bonjour

Image très instructive sur les rites et coutumes...
Composée agréablement et qui permet du premier coup d'oeil de comprendre la destination des niches.

feather (49858) 2009-06-26 6:32

Fascinating story Carlos. I assume at one time there would have been some kind of lid for each tomb. There was nothing for scale in the previous photo and I thought the holes were a lot bigger than they are here.
'Adobe' is the same word in English - The mud used for building. Over time we all have borrowed words from each other.
Excellent informative and interesting two posts.
Kath
PS I hope this isn't another of your jokes! ;D

danos (32264) 2009-06-26 12:50

Hola Carlos,
nice presentation of these 'holes' that are used in old times as Christian graves.The combination with the shots in the WS make your theme to be completely perfect.Well done.

Have a nice weekend,Danos

sunamoon (5057) 2009-06-26 16:37

Hola Carlos,

Junto a la anterior, que no se sabía mucho lo que era, con esta visión más amplia descubres el enigma, la verdad que es curioso, muy interesante tu nota, la luz y los colores optimos!

Un saludo,
Elena

alainh (35361) 2009-06-26 22:23

Hola Carlos
excellents your 2 pictures and an astonoshing explination about these traces ! i thouhgt about animal traces as you have a lot in your beautiful cantabric coast !!
Interesting but very beautifull capture, with the best angle.
tienes un buen dias Carlos
alain

Cretense (55848) 2009-06-27 2:32

Hola Carlos!

Muy impresionante foto con un tema muy interesante y original! Gran encuadre y composicion, gran perspectiva diagonal! La nota es muy informativa! Felicidades!

Un saludo,
Hercules

aloste (419) 2009-06-27 2:42

Hola!
Siempre me llamaron la atención los enterramientos en roca de tipo antropomorfo...la verdad que no son infrecuentes en nuestro país, la mayor parte de la época medieval..vaya trabajito para el enterrador...buena composición y ambiente otoñal que le da una atmósfera especial.
Saludos,
Antonio

bukitgolfb301 (4588) 2009-06-27 4:25

Hello my dear Carlos

What a interesting story and shot !
Good framing, color management and clear and keen focus as usual. The usage of wide focus lens is very very effective.

Thanks for sharing and best regards,
Have a nice weekend !

Takero

guitianmiranda (3612) 2009-06-27 5:36

Hola Carlos, bonito juego el que has realizado con esta y la anterior foto... al margen, ambas tienen una gran calidad y colorido. Interesante entretenimiento.

Un saludo.

Rafer (4230) 2009-06-27 11:47

Fúnebre y antiguo lugar bien enfocado y colorido...no dormiría muy cerca.....saludos

angie-barcelona (1847) 2009-06-27 12:16

Hola Carlos,

menuda leccion de historia... muy curiosa la foto... no sé yo si me pasearía mucho rato por ahí... da un poco de respeto!!! Buenos colores.

Un abrazo,

Gemma

PD: esta mañana he ido a visitar la exposición que hacen en Barcelona, de Atapuerca... muy recomendable!

emjleclercq (14256) 2009-06-27 13:08

A very interesting picture, even if I had not looked at the previous one (in thumbnail). It is very strange that the graves are been carved directly in the rock, but probably that very hard it requiered was for them the assurance of a long lasting burial.

All the best,

Emmanuel

AiresSantos (41970) 2009-06-27 23:41

Hola Carlos
Excellent informative note about this graves. This perspective show us great details. Fine colours and sharpness
Have a nice Sunday
Aires

barrufeto_77 (25719) 2009-06-28 15:18

Mmmmm...la otra fue tarjeta amarilla, esta es roja, roja, roja.

Colores bien, pero tienes 500.000 fotos mejores...

devimeuxbe (55865) 2009-07-27 13:30

Hello Caérlos
What an interesting perspective
Beautifull picture with alos for us an interesting story.
Well done
Bertrand

Charo (31665) 2009-10-24 17:48

Hola Carlos,
Tumbas parecidas a estas las he visto por Galicia y también por Extremadura.
Un lugar interesante y un poco macabro ;)))
Excelente la composición y la luz.
Un abrazo,
Charo