Cultural History of the Pallars Region

Lake Montcortès is situated in the Pallars geopolitical and historical region. In the chronological context of this book, six main prehistoric/historical phases can be distinguished: Late Bronze Age (1100–800 BCE), Iron Age (800–72 BCE), Roman Epoch (72 BCE–418 CE), Middle Ages (418–1488 CE), Modern Age (1488–1789 CE), and Contemporary times (1789 CE–present). Prehistoric cultures were essentially autochthonous and characterized by small scattered nomadic groups evolving toward more organized Neolithic societies living in fortified cities. The Roman occupation of the Pallars was mostly marginal, and autochthonous cultures persisted. After short phases of Visigoth, Muslim, and Carolingian domination, the Middle Ages witnessed the development of the independent County of Pallars (872–1488 CE)—characterized by a feudal regime, the abandonment of slash-and-burn practices, and the development of long-distance horizontal transhumance—which ended with the conquest of the region by the Castilla-Aragon Crown. In the Modern Age, the feudal organization was replaced by a precapitalist society, characterized by the development of extraregional communications and the ensuing commercial intensification. Contemporary times began with the French occupation (1808 CE) and ended with the establishment of modern democracy (and the Bourbons again) after the Franco dictatorship (1939–1975 CE). This was paralleled by the progressive development of capitalism and industrial society, initiated by the second half of the nineteenth century.