Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Pierre Pèse, also known as Pierre Levée de Panessac or Pierre Folle de Saint-Saviol, is a dolmen located in Limalonges, in the Deux-Sèvres department. This megalithic monument, dated from the Neolithic, is distinguished by its 7.30 m long limestone cover table, resting on three pillars of uneven height. Ranked as historical monuments in 1889, it was searched in 1802 by Mr.Joseau, professor of Niort, at the request of Prefect Dupin, revealing human bones and flint tools, now missing.

The excavations of 1802 revealed significant archaeological remains: bones (humerus, mandible, vertebrae), flints, polished axes and sharp bones interpreted as arrow tips. These objects, now lost, suggest a funeral and ritual use of the site. A second campaign in 1889, exploring Joseau's debris, reportedly exhumed new artifacts, but their nature remains unknown.

The dolmen is surrounded by local legends, such as that of a general buried under the stone or cursed dauges whose displacement would cause misfortune. Two of these auges, which were used as waterworks, were visible until they were destroyed by a carrier. The cover table, partially mutilated to the east, and the visible absence of the original tumulus underline the alterations suffered by the monument over the centuries.

The Pierre Pèse illustrates the neolithic megalithic architecture, with a bellow-shaped table weighing several tons, supported by unequal pillars. The materials, in local limestone, and the bent northward structure reflect the construction techniques of the time. The site, a private property, remains a rare testimony of funeral and cultural practices in the prehistoric communities of the region.

Historical sources, including the prefect Dupin's writings and Joseau's reports, document the first explorations of the monument. The inventory of the megaliths of the Deux-Sèvres, published in 1980 by Georges Germond, devotes several pages to this dolmen, confirming its archaeological importance. Today, the Pierre Pése continues to fascinate with its mystery and its anchoring in the Poitevin landscape.

External links