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Origin and history

The Dolmen du Pech de Grammont, located in Gramat in the Lot, is an exceptional megalithic building dated to the recent Neolithic and Chalcolithic. It is distinguished by its double dolmen architecture, a concept defined by Jean Clottes after the excavations of 1968-1969 conducted with Michel Carrière. This monument, inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 2012, is the archetype of double dolmens, with two sepulchral chambers juxtaposed under the same oval tumulus (19 m × 16 m). A unique feature in Quercy lies in the presence of an inner chest in the large dolmen and a carefully polished slab-hublot, doubling the closing slab.

The site was built on a ridge overlooking a doline and the Alzou Valley. The small dolmen (1.60 m × 1 m), oriented to the east, has a rectangular chamber with inclined orthostats, while the large dolmen (2.80 m × 2 m) has traces of looting (broken table) and a soil containing fragmented bone remains. The excavations revealed distinct funeral offerings: calcite beads and pottery studs (cultivation of the fields of the dolmen); 605 shell beads, flint arrow tips, and Mediterranean shells in the big dolmen. A deposit of 83 pearls and 51 prismatic buttons was also discovered near the entrance.

The analysis of bone remains suggests a minimum of 9-10 individuals in the small dolmen and 22-25 in the large, with teeth and astragals as the main markers. Architectural differences and funeral furniture diverge between the two dolmens indicate a two-phase construction, according to Jean Clottes. The tumulus, consisting of blocks of stone and earth, favored vegetation, partially altering the structure. The dry stone walls surrounding each dolmen (rounded for the small, rectangular for the large) would have been used to stabilize the building when tables were laid.

The ceiling slab, perpendicular to the large dolmen closing slab, is a regional rarity. Its circular opening (0.40 m in diameter) and its polished edges testify to a careful craftsmanship. Installed a posteriori, it partially doubles the entrance slab, unlike the other elements of the monument, embedded in the ground. Previous excavations, especially those of Jacques-Antoine Delpon (whose discoveries are now lost), had already emphasized the originality of the site. Dolmen thus illustrates evolutionary funeral practices and specific rites, as suggested by the comparison with Rat dolmen.

The interpretation of Jean Clottes proposes a chronology in two stages: the small dolmen would have been built first, followed by the great dolmen, modifying the initial form of the tumulus. The reasons for this juxtaposition remain unknown, but differences in construction and furniture confirm a time lag. The site, searched in 1968-1969, delivered artifacts revealing cultural exchanges (Mediterranean shells) and craft techniques (shell test pearls, cut flint). Today, it is a major testimony of the Quercy megalithism and the sepulchral practices of the Chalcolithic.

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