Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Dolmen de Gaoutabry, also known as the Dolmen de Gauttobry, is a megalithic monument located in the commune of La Londe-les-Maures in the Maures mountains. It is 198 metres above sea level, on a hill top near a pass, north of the Favanquet signal, offering a dominant view of La Londe Bay and Giens peninsula. Its Provencal name, composed of gaouto (slope side) and abry (shelter), evokes its protected geographical position. This dolmen is the largest in the Var department and one of the most imposing in Provence, which justified its inscription in the Historical Monuments on February 22, 1988.

The dolmen was first discovered and searched in 1876 by Baron Gustave Charles Ferdinand de Bonstetten, who saw a succession of three small dolmens. In 1924, Clotte established that it was actually a unique monument. Several studies and excavations followed, including those of Commander Laflotte in 1933, of Henseling in 1957, and of Jean Courtin in 1974. In 1975, Gérard Sauzade and R. Brandi conducted a new excavation, revealing artifacts dated from the end of Neolithic. A restoration was undertaken in 1989 to repair damage caused by frost and fire.

The structure of the dolmen is remarkable: it is 10 meters long for 6.50 meters wide, entirely constructed of local shale slabs. The sepulchral chamber, elongated (3 m x 2 m), is preceded by a shorter antechamber (2 m x 1.50 m), separated by vertical orthostats. A 1-metre-long access corridor, facing south-west (azimut 225°), leads to the antechamber, bounded by three orthostates arranged in funnel, a characteristic rare in Provence. Notches on some orthostats may have been used to tie logs of wood to support the cover, although their exact use remains hypothetical.

The archaeological excavations revealed significant objects: flint knives and polished axes found by de Bonstetten, as well as burnt bones, pottery coats, frames of leaf arrows, a dagger, and elements of trimming (stone crystal locks, green rock beads) during later excavations. These findings confirm the funeral and ritual use of the site at the end of Neolithic, reflecting the cultural and social practices of the local communities of the time.

The Dolmen de Gaoutabry illustrates the importance of megalithic monuments in the Provençal landscape, both in their architectural dimension and in their role in neolithic funeral practices. Its restoration and protection as a historic monument underscore its heritage value, while providing material testimony to the construction techniques and beliefs of prehistoric societies in the region.

External links