Prehistoric Monuments
The mountain and the whole area show several vestiges of megalithic art, for the most part small monuments much in step with the customary practice on the Atlantic basin of the Basque Country in the Neolithic and Bronze Age. The megalithic sector Adarra numbers 34 stone circles, 4 dolmens, 3 cists and 2 menhirs. Furthermore, remains are ubiquitous all over the ridgeline Adarra-Mandoegi that stretches out south. The conspicuous menhir of Eteneta at the centre of the meadow on the back of Adarra doesn't go unnoticed. However, while the menhir stands currently upright, some decades ago it lay on the ground, the stone being reverted to the original position by regional authorities. This spot has long been a meeting point for shepherds.
Some monuments cluster around the Aballarri rocks. Legend as collected by anthropologist J.M. Barandiaran goes that the Basque mythological gigantic character Sanson got angry with a crowd of people dancing in Arano, so he intended to kill them. Yet when he was about to hurl a stone at them from the mountain Buruntza, he slipped on a cow dung and the stone fell short on this spot, resulting in the current prominence.
At this point, an older vestige should be noted, the cavern Mari Zulo (access from the farmhouse and inn Besabi), where the remains of a man buried along with a dog and lamb were unearthed, dating from the 4th millennium BC. Plenty of evidence suggests that it was long used at different stages of prehistory. Unfortunately, the surroundings of the cavern are currently somewhat deteriorated due to a polluted stream nearby.
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