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Terres de l’Ebre Museum

Disc-shaped stele

Disc-shaped stele from Vilalba dels Arcs. Terres de l’Ebre Museum.

 

Disc-shaped stele from Vilalba dels Arcs. Terres de l’Ebre Museum.

 

This disc-shaped stele from Vilalba dels Arcs bears the relief of a Hospitaller cross in the centre. These sculpted stone pieces indicated the position of specific graves in a cemetery. They are dated to the 11th and endured until the 19th centuries. They were usually placed at the head of the grave and stuck into the ground, while the disc would display some form of decoration (crosses, geometric figures, heraldic shields, trade emblems, etc). Once they no longer served their original purpose, they were often re-used as decorative items in churches and on cemetery fences. 

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