Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Dolmen de Gasteynia, also known as dolmen de Mairietxe or dolmen de Chuberam, is a megalithic building typical of the western Pyrenees. Located in Mendive, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, it dates from Protohistory. This dolmen is distinguished by its dominant position on a hill dedicated to grazing, where the original tumulus has disappeared, probably abrased to facilitate agricultural activities. The sepulchral chamber, slightly trapezoidal, is bounded by orthostats in local white sandstone, while the blanket table and bedside slab, in red sandstone, come from remote sites such as the mountains of Armiaga or d-Urtxurri.

The dolmen was classified as historical monuments by order of 29 September 1952. Its structure, about 3 metres long by 1.40 metres wide, reflects the megalithic construction techniques of the region. The materials used, including the red sandstones reported, show significant efforts for its construction, suggesting a particular symbolic or funeral significance in the local protohistoric community.

Available sources, including Wikipedia and Monumentum, highlight its integration into the landscape of the megalithic sites of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Although little is known about its precise use, this dolmen illustrates the funeral practices and spatial organization of the societies of the time, where monuments often served as territorial markers or as places of collective memory.

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