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Origin and history

The dolmen dit La Pierre Cuberte, also known as the dolmen de Pécut or the Valette, is a megalithic monument located in Naillat, in the Creuse department. Mentioned in 1889 as Pierre-Eubeste, he was wrongly classified on the neighbouring municipality of Dun-le-Palestel before being properly located. His state of disrepair led to a search in 1973, led by Claire Gautran-Moser, revealing a complex architectural structure with local gneiss orthostates and traces of artificial developments.

The excavations revealed a modest archaeological material: ceramic coats, lithic quartz and flint tools, as well as fragments of tiles collected by Pierre de Cessac in the 19th century. These elements suggest a human occupation in the Neolithic, although the exact type of dolmen (a corridor or angevin) remains unknown. The site, which has been protected since 1980, reflects the funeral and artisanal practices of the prehistoric communities of the region.

The dolmen is described in historical sources as a building composed of six orthostats supporting two roof tables, with a bedroom about 2 meters wide. The slabs, set in natural or hollow grooves, indicate a careful construction. The objects discovered, preserved at the Guéret Museum, offer a limited but valuable overview of the tools and pottery used by local people.

The initial confusion about its location (Dun-le-Palestel instead of Naillat) and the variations in its name in the archives (Pierre-Eubeste, Pierre-Tubeste) reflect the challenges of studying megaliths. Despite its fragmentary state, the dolmen remains a key vestige of the Creuse's megalithic heritage, illustrating Neolithic construction techniques and funeral rites.

Research conducted by Pierre de Cessac in the 19th century and Claire Gautran-Moser in 1973 documented this monument, while highlighting the limitations of available knowledge. Today, the Dolmen de la Pierre Cuberte is protected as historical monuments, thus preserving a material testimony of the first agricultural societies in the region.

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