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Origin and history

The Dolmen des Landes is a megalith located on the Île-d'Yeu in the Vendée department in Pays de la Loire. The Neolithic, its exact type remains uncertain: it could be a dolmen, a megalithic chest or even a menhir. The building is included in an oval tumulus more than 20 metres long from north to south and about 10 metres east to west. Orthognesis slabs, some of which bear cupulas, were partially restored in the early twentieth century.

The monument was first mentioned in 1883 by Olivier-Jules Richard in his Guide to the Island of Yeu, before being classified as historical monuments in 1889. In 1907, Marcel Baudouin searched the site and discovered two main slabs: one, split into two pieces, had 13 cups on its north face, while the other, arranged in square, was 1.50 m long. Baudouin interprets these structures as the remains of a funeral chamber, although this hypothesis is not confirmed.

During the excavations, Baudouin discovered five small pebbles and seven flints south of the main slab. These artifacts, along with engraved cupules, suggest a ritual or funeral use of the site. However, the exact nature of the megalith remains under discussion due to the absence of archaeological evidence to conclude a specific use. The slabs, now visible, are partly the result of the restorations carried out by Baudouin, who also built a well to make the cupules accessible.

The Dolmen des Landes illustrates the challenges posed by the study of megaliths, whose precise function and chronology often escape archaeologists. Its early classification as a historical monument is evidence of the interest in preserving these remains since the 19th century, long before modern methods of investigation shed more light on its history. Baudouin's works, published in 1913, remain a reference for the understanding of this emblematic site of Île-d'Yeu.

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