A walk through prehistory

The valley of the Aragón conceals a rich patrimony whose worth is not always justly appraised. Aside from being part of the Aragonese Road to Santiago, preserving some tracts of the Roman road used through the centuries by pilgrims, and holding some excellent examples of Romanesque architecture among its churches and bridges, the valley also keeps many megalithic remains which are remarkable for their state of preservation. In Villanúa we can find three of these prehistoric monuments. Within a range of less than 7 kilometers, the dolmens of Villanúa are the best way to walk quietly and placidly though the prehistory of the Valley of the Aragón.

One of the dolmens at Villanúa

Villanúa is known for its underground attractions, which are found in the Cave of Las Güixas. But the archaeological remains in this village of the Upper Aragón are not limited to that. The three dolmens which this village conceals, present a very good state of preservation, despite the fact that human use has also damaged and modified their original appearance.

These stone constructions date from the Neolithic Period, partly from the Eneolithic and even from the beginning of the Bronze Age, and they are all at an altitude of over 990 meters above sea level. The three funerary monuments of Villanúa show the same structure, simple dolmens consisting of a chamber and a tumulus. In this respect, the dolmen of Las Güixas is so far the best preserved example of a megalithic monument in the Upper Aragón and can be used as a starting point for this prehistoric trip.

In order to get to the dolmen of Las Güixas, we must head for the village of Canfranc along the Road to Santiago. During the ascension, the excursionist will be able to enjoy part of the Roman road which formed part of the Road to Santiago. After passing the entrance to the caves, 500 meters ahead, in the middle of a field, we can find this stone construction.

This is probably the largest megalithic monuments that we can find in Villanúa. The archeologists think that, being large stone constructions, they could be used not only as resting place for the dead from the communities around the region, but also they could be used for other purposes. These uses could be something like leaving a mark for their stay there, or marking the limits of territories, as the dolmens can be seen from a long distance.

From this point, taking again the trail that takes you to the train stop of Villanúa, we can reach the trail that leads to the dolmen of Letranz, which is settled on the left side of the gully of the same name. It is a 20 minute walk, at a slow pace. But those who are not in the mood for walking can drive there taking the trail of Collarada. The first 300 meters are asphalted, yet not the remaining 3 kilometers from the beginning of the trail to the dolmen. This dolmen is part of the boundaries of a small pastureland, so in order to watch it we will have to get into the field.

The third example of a prehistoric construction is found precisely in the opposite direction to the other two. The trip to get to the dolmen of tres peñas (three mountains) or diezcampanas (ten bells) allows two routes. We can take the Falda de la Selva, a fresh and earthy path under the shade of the numerous fir trees covering this hill, or if we prefer, we can take the road of Orbil, heading for Castiello de Jaca and taking a turn that reaches the railroad tracks, thus being able to use your own vehicle along this road. Both routes lead to these tracks and the ascent goes on for another 15 minutes. We recommend access on foot, as this trail is not very busy.

This may be the monument which has suffered the most the action of man. The fact that these constructions have been known for long, explains their being used for purposes other than the original, probably due to the lack of knowledge about what they meant. Thus, the dolmen of Diezcampanas has been reused as cabin for the shepherds and its structure has even been modified adding mud walls to make it inhabitable. The view we obtain from Tres Peñas allows us to see the end of the valley, from Collarada to Castiello de Jaca, including the manor state of Arauej and the village of Aratorés. A beautiful view for an eternal rest.

Other remains in the village

Even though Villanúa is the best place to watch, study and enjoy the megalithic works, other funerary monuments have been discovered in the proximity of Astún, Canal Roya and the gully of Ip. In the area known as la Rinconada, in Canal Roya, Dr Pilar Utrilla and Santiago Marraco found a great tumulus of stones which was 17 meters in diameter and with a depression in the middle 4 meters in diameter. However, once again this construction shows signs of having suffered modifications due to the action of men. In the higher part of the valley, at an altitude of over 2000 meters above sea level, near the lake of Trucas in Astún, there is another prehistoric burial. Its state of preservation is quite poor, as the chamber seems in ruins and covered by a tumulus which is ten meters in diameter. Yet, it is not difficult to see. This monument can be placidly observed from the chair lift which runs up to the ski slopes during the winter and to the lakes of Truchas and Escalar in the summer.