Historical monuments 9 janvier 1978 (≈ 1978)
Dolmens 1 and 2 protected
1998
UNESCO registration
UNESCO registration 1998 (≈ 1998)
Dolmen n°2 on Compostela roads
avril-juin 2013
Restoration and excavations
Restoration and excavations avril-juin 2013 (≈ 2013)
Archaeological study dolmen n°2
2022
Scientific publication
Scientific publication 2022 (≈ 2022)
Architectural model dolmens caussenards
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
Source text without mention
Origin and history
The dolmens of Pech Lagliaire, located in the commune of Gréalou in the Lot (Occitanie), form a set of three megalithic monuments less than 200 meters away. These funeral structures, sometimes called dolmens of the Mas-de-Pegouries, bear witness to an ancient occupation of the site. Dolmens No. 1 and No. 2 have been listed as historical monuments since 1978, while dolmen No. 2 is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the framework of the Santiago de Compostela (via Podiensis) roads.
Dolmen No. 1, located at the top of the hill, has an oval tumulus of 18 x 15 meters and a south-east orientation (azimut 121°). A planted slab suggests that it was perhaps the origin of a double dolmen, with a second filled room and vestiges of floor covering table. Its construction in two phases, with a posterior extension, indicates an architectural evolution typical of the Quercy megaliths.
Dolmen No. 2, caussenard type, has a quadrangular sepulchral chamber bounded by two orthostats and a bedside slab. His tumulus, probably quadrangular, housed a funeral furniture today kept at the Cahors Museum: shell beads, jayet, calcite, bone, as well as an arrow tip and a pendant. Restored in 2013, this dolmen illustrates neolithic funeral practices and their Christian re-appropriation, as evidenced by a nearby cross.
Dolmen No. 3, strongly degraded, contains only two orthostats and a table fragment. However, its circular tumulus (17 metres in diameter) remains visible. Oriented in an azimut of 120°, it completes this major archaeological ensemble, studied in particular in the framework of recent research on the architectural evolution of the caussenard dolmens in Quercy.
The excavations and studies carried out, such as those published in 2022 in Anthropology, underline the importance of this site in understanding local megalithic traditions. The proximity of the dolmens to historical routes, including the roads of Compostela, reinforces their heritage value, mixing prehistoric heritage and medieval history.
