Friday 7 September 2007 The outside looks promising but gives little away of the ‘TARDIS-like’ inside....
Image credit: Tim Clark
Images
Friday 7 September 2007 Carved ‘recessed’ entrance stone
Image credit: Tim Clark
Friday 7 September 2007 Carving out this lot must have been a huge labour
Image credit: Tim Clark
Friday 7 September 2007 Trough-type things in floor
Image credit: Tim Clark
Friday 7 September 2007 Odd ‘sockethole’ type things on floor
Image credit: Tim Clark
The entrance has a lovely carved portal stone
Image credit: Moth Clark
There are rock cut steps leading down into the chamber
Image credit: Moth Clark
It’s a whopper inside. At full stretch (and I’m 5’8” tall) I could only just reach the capstones.
Image credit: Moth Clark
this is the only signposted monument of the Arles Fontvieille group. Look out for this sign at the side of the D17, just east of the Abbey de Montmajour and go down the little path. The hypogee is RIGHT by the road on the right.
Image credit: Moth Clark
A human vertebrae, complete with arrowhead sticking into it which was discovered at the hypogee.
Image credit: Moth Clark
Articles
The hypogee is a chamber cut directly into the bedrock – 8 feet deep – and topped with some huge capstones. Stairs are rock cut into the descent but are worn smooth with the many feet that have walked in and out of here over the past 5,500 years. The sides of the hypogee are unfeasibly flatly cut and slope inwards at an angle. The portal stone is a beautiful even U shape. The whole chamber is about 7 metres long and we absolutely loved it.
comment
0 Comments
Sites within 20km of Hypogee de Arnaud Castelets
-
Dolmen de Coutignargues
photo 2 description 1 -
Grotte des Fées
photo 5 description 1 -
Arles-Fontvieille Group
photo 2 description 1 -
Grotte de la Source
photo 7 description 1 -
Grotte de Bounias
photo 7 description 1 -
Bouches-du-Rhône (13)