Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The dolmens of Pech Lagliaire, located near the hamlet of the Mas-de-Pégouries in Gréalou (Lot), form a set of three megalithic monuments that are not more than 200 metres apart. The dolmens n°1 and n°2, classified as historical monuments on 9 January 1978, illustrate various architectures: the first, potentially a double dolmen with a full secondary chamber, and the second, a simple dolmen of caussenard type, oriented south-east (azimut 123°). Their tumulus, of oval or quadrangular forms, houses massive limestone slabs, including a table of 7 tons for dolmen n°2.

Dolmen No. 2, searched during work in 2013, delivered a preserved funerary furniture to the Cahors museum: 114 shell beads, pendants, and a broken arrow point. These objects attest to ritual practices and distant exchanges. This dolmen has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998 via the roads of Santiago de Compostela (via Podiensis), symbolizing the Christian re-appropriation of pagan sites, as evidenced by an ancient cross nearby.

Dolmen No. 3, heavily degraded, only retains two orthostats and a table fragment, but its circular tumulus (17 m in diameter) remains visible. The orientation of the three dolmens (azimuts 120° to 123°) suggests an intentional alignment, possibly linked to astronomical or topographical markers. Their geographical proximity and architectural similarities question their synchronised or spread over time construction, reflecting the evolution of megalithic techniques in the Neolithic.

Recent excavations and studies, such as those published in 2022 in anthropology, aim to clarify the chronology and uses of these monuments. The dolmen n°1, at the top of the hill, may have been enlarged later, while the better preserved n°2, offers a typical example of the caussenard dolmens of Quercy. Their classification and inscription at UNESCO underline their heritage value, both archaeological, historical and landscape.

Future

The dolmen of Pech Lagliaire 2 is therefore one of the 71 monuments as well as 7 portions of paths have been inscribed since 1998 on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the official title of "Chemins de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle in France".

It is on the way to Via Podiensis, or "Voy du Puy", from Puy-en-Velay to the Basque village of Ostabat, where it joins via Turonensis and via Lemovicensis gathered shortly before.

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