Stelae are funerary monuments that date back to around the XNUMXth century. With a full surface, the steles are made up of two parts: a foot of variable shape surmounted by a disc.
Since antiquity they have been placed on the side of the deceased's head to mark the location of the grave. Some think that they are a re-use of grinding stones worn out by grinding, which would explain their circular shape…). The presence of other steles from the area of Catharism (in France, Europe, Russia and as far as the Maghreb) suggests that the Lauragais steles would not be linked to this religion. They therefore indicate the presence of a grave and evoke the memory of the buried person through the sculpture of tools or a symbolic sign. Sometimes, they can also serve as milestones on a Jacobean route or finally mark a place of devotion.
Since antiquity they have been placed on the side of the deceased's head to mark the location of the grave. Some think that they are a re-use of grinding stones worn out by grinding, which would explain their circular shape…). The presence of other steles from the area of Catharism (in France, Europe, Russia and as far as the Maghreb) suggests that the Lauragais steles would not be linked to this religion. They therefore indicate the presence of a grave and evoke the memory of the buried person through the sculpture of tools or a symbolic sign. Sometimes, they can also serve as milestones on a Jacobean route or finally mark a place of devotion.