Dolmen Du Chardonnet - La Canourgue - Lot ValleyThe Grands Causses may seem quite depopulated to those venturing there for the first time. However, civilizations have succeeded one another here since the dawn of time. Hundreds of Neolithic populations in the Lozère have left us mysterious monuments emblematic of that era: megaliths. Here, dolmens and menhirs abound.
MINOLTA Menhirs-La-Cham-des-BondonsIt’s hard not to be moved by these pagan burial and ceremonial sites, which now bear silent witness to these forgotten practices. Discover them along the way, but also at the Maison des Dolmens in Buzeins, Aveyron.
Megaliths are buildings erected by man using large blocks of stone. They have fascinated mankind for centuries: their gigantic size and weight, ancient origins and mysterious functions have given rise to numerous legends: fairies, truces, treasures… Thanks to research undertaken since the 19th century, we now know that their construction is linked to the arrival of agriculture in the Neolithic period.
Dolmens are made up of vertical stones on which cover slabs are laid. Originally, they were covered by piles of earth and stone known as “tumulus”. These were collective burials where certain individuals were buried along with their personal belongings. Some were reused over a long period, right up to the Metal Age.
Menhirs are vertical stone stelae planted in the ground. Over time, their function was forgotten, and despite decades of research, it still eludes us. But one thing is certain: given the mammoth task involved in transporting these immense blocks, it must have been of the utmost importance.
Dolmen de la Galine in the commune of Banassac - Canilhac in the Lot Valley
Walk to the Laumède dolmen, Causse de Sauveterre.#1
The Giant of Laumède or “Lou Gigonte” is one of the most famous dolmens in France, thanks to its impressive 10-ton table! This is a double-chambered dolmen, with two consecutive chambers. Pottery shards have made it possible to date part of the deposit to the Final Bronze Age.
#2
Opposite the hamlet of Claviers, a path leads us to two menhirs that were straightened a few years ago: the Roumaldis (or Fraysse well) menhirs. One measures 1.40 metres, while the other is almost 3.50 metres high!
Menhirs du puits du fraysse, de roumaldis.#3
L’aire des Trois Seigneurs is a megalithic complex built around 2000 BC. It features one of the largest dolmens in Lozère, with an angled entrance dug into the ground. Nearby, two “cromlechs ” (a set of raised stones forming a kind of circular enclosure) are difficult to make out. The megalithic complex is listed as a Historic Monument.
Le dolmen coudé de l'Aire des Trois-Seigneurs, Causse de Sauveterre, Lozère, France
Dolmen De Dignas#4
Despite its ruined appearance and the excavations carried out by Doctor Prunière in the 19th century, this megalith had not finished revealing its secrets: a recent study has led to the discovery of Iron Age furniture in the mound.
#5
In the Cévennes National Park, the Cham des Bondons offers one of the largest concentrations of menhirs in France: 154 menhirs spread over some ten kilometers.
The menhirs seem to follow the summit ridges of the relief, but no precise alignment has been observed. Some menhirs may suggest a cromlech formation, but the circle is difficult to see.
La Cham Des Bondons
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Menhirs De La Cham Des Bondons
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