36th Annual Student Research Conference
The Basque Civilisation: A Final Bastion of Ancient Europe
DJ P. McInturff
Dr. Erin Joyce, Faculty Mentor
The Basque people are the oldest surviving ethnic group in all of Europe, inhabiting the territory west of the Pyrenees mountains on both sides of the Franco-Spanish border. Despite their relative celebrity as a cultural and linguistic minority, the Basques largely remain a demographic, historical, cultural, and linguistic mystery. Some of the elements contributing to this vague and unique existence include genetic and geographic isolation, strong political movements in favor of local autonomy, the unique nature of the Basque language, the relatively late Christianization of the region, the traditionally matriarchal nature of the society, and the harsh suppression of Basque culture for the majority of the modern era. However, this nuanced study of the population’s origins, history, economy, religious beliefs, other cultural aspects, and the language will help shed light upon this fascinating civilisation, which represents the last bastion of ancient European populations and cultures in the modern world.
Keywords: French, Basque, History, Language, Culture, Linguistics , Religion, Spain
Topic(s):French Capstone
French
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: 305-1
Location: SUB 3201
Time: 1:15