Vascões

Vascões is a historical term referring to a pre-Roman tribe that inhabited the region of Vasconia, located in the western Pyrenees and the surrounding areas. The Vascões are often associated with the development of the Basque people, although the exact relationship between the two groups is a subject of ongoing research and debate.

History

The Vascões were first mentioned in historical records by Roman authors such as Pliny the Elder and Ptolemy. They were known to have resisted Roman conquest, maintaining their independence for several centuries before eventually being incorporated into the Roman Empire.

The Vascões are believed to have spoken an early form of the Basque language, although the evidence for this is largely circumstantial. The tribe's name is thought to be related to the Basque word euskara, meaning "Basque language".

Culture

Little is known about the culture of the Vascões, as they left behind few written records. However, archaeological evidence suggests that they were a pastoral society, with a strong tradition of sheep and goat herding. They are also believed to have practiced a form of ancestor worship, with elaborate burial rituals and the construction of dolmens.

Legacy

The legacy of the Vascões is most evident in the Basque Country, where their language and cultural traditions have survived to the present day. The Basque language is one of the oldest in Europe, and is the only non-Indo-European language still spoken in Western Europe.

Map showing the approximate location of Vasconia, the region inhabited by the Vascões.

See also

• Basque Country
• History of the Basque people
• Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula