Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Dolmen de Peyrelevade, located in Paussac-et-Saint-Vivien in Dordogne (Nouvelle-Aquitaine), is a megalithic building dating from the Neolithic period. It was first reported in 1821 by Wlgrin de Taillefer, then restored in 1933 by the Historical and Archaeological Society of the Périgord due to its degraded state. This intervention partially altered its initial architecture, including its quadrangular sepulchral chamber and access corridor, oriented north-west/south-east.

This angoumoisin-type dolmen consists of five orthostats (four in limestone, one in sandstone) delimiting a trapezoidal space of 6.50 m long. It is covered with a monumental table in siderolithic sandstone (3.90 m x 3 m, thick from 0.40 to 0.60 m). A green polished stone axe, discovered on the site, would be preserved at the Museum of Art and Archaeology of the Périgord. The monument was listed as a historical monument on November 10, 1960.

Sources also mention an approximate location at the Great Walls (24310), with geographical accuracy considered to be satisfactory (note 7/10). The dolmen illustrates the importance of collective burials in the Neolithic region of Aquitaine, where agro-pastoral communities built sustainable funeral structures. Its architecture and associated artifacts bear witness to the cultural and technical practices of the time.

External links