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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Dolmen de la Fabière, located in La Cavalerie in Aveyron, is a megalithic building dating from the Neolithic period. Ranked a historical monument in 1889, it was searched before 1914 by Abbé Hermet, then by the Geniez brothers, before being studied more rigorously in 1973 and 1976 by Jean Arnal. The site, close to the La Cavalerie military camp, was sometimes used during manoeuvres in the early twentieth century.

The dolmen structure comprises a chamber bounded by two parallel orthostats, covered with a massive cover table. The room, facing to the west, is preceded by a partially destroyed corridor and a tumulus 22 meters long, in the shape of a tapered almond. This tumulus, made of earth and stones, was girded by a Dallet wall, reconstituted during the restoration.

The excavations revealed a variety of archaeological materials, including flint tools (lames, arrow tips), ornament elements (jayet locks, steatite beads), and pottery studs dating from the Copper Age and the Final Bronze. In Roman times, a small hut was built in the tumulus, testifying to the reuse of the site over the centuries.

The objects discovered by the Genius brothers, such as flint arrow tips and pendants, are preserved at the Millau Museum. Abbé Hermet, although having initiated excavations, did not publish his results, while Jean Arnal's campaigns helped to better understand the architecture and history of the monument.

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