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Origin and history

The dolmen de la Tamanie is a megalithic monument located in the commune of Oradour-sur-Vayres, in the Haute-Vienne department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Dated from the final Neolithic or Chalcolithic, it could be attached to the local Artenacian culture. This simple, small dolmen is distinguished by a cover table in gneiss disproportionate to the supporting slabs, suggesting the partial disappearance of its original structure. Marks of paving and side walls of stone were identified during excavations.

F. Vandermarcq, who had already collapsed in the 19th century, restored the site in 1980 after it was classified as historic monuments on 14 June 1971. Archaeological excavations revealed a modest material: about 50 ceramic teasses, including one decorated with grooves, as well as lithic tools (arms of arrows, splinters). These artifacts confirm an occupation during the final Neolithic-Chalcolithic period, marked by major social and technical transformations in Western Europe.

The location of the dolmen, near a gneiss deposit (leptynite) about 1 km away, suggests a local exploitation of resources for its construction. This type of collective funeral monument reflects the cultural and religious practices of neolithic communities, often linked to the cult of ancestors and the territorial organization. Its present state, partially restored, allows to study the construction techniques and rituals associated with these collective burials.

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