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Origin and history

The Dolmen du Lac, also known as the Sanglante Stone or the Guillotine, is a megalithic building located in Saint-Pierre-Colamine, in the department of Puy-de-Dôme. This simple dolmen, dated Neolithic, consists of four orthostats (vertical pads) covered with a single cover table. Outside, it is 3.60 m long, 2.30 m wide and 1.35 m high. The inner chamber, partially collapsed, rests on only one pillar to the south and on the tumulus to the north, reducing its height to 0.50 m. The table and orthostats have a smooth internal surface, and adjacent slabs could be old supports.

The dolmenic cairn, with a radius of 6 to 8 m, is partially damaged by the wall of an adjoining farm. Unlike many similar sites, this dolmen has apparently never been the subject of archaeological excavations. Its architecture suggests a funeral vocation, typical of the collective burials of the Neolithic. The monument was classified as historical monuments by order of 20 April 1927, thereby recognizing its heritage value.

According to Dr. Chabory's writings, the dolmen was used as a place of execution during the French Revolution, which would have earned him the nicknames of "bloody stone" or " Guillotine". This late reuse, although marginal in the history of the monument, illustrates how prehistoric remains have sometimes been reinvested by later events. However, no archaeological evidence confirms this anecdote, which is more a matter of local oral tradition.

The dolmen du Lac is part of a wider set of megalithic sites in Puy-de-Dôme, a region rich in testimonies of prehistory. Its state of conservation, although altered by agricultural developments (such as the farm wall), makes it a representative example of the simple dolmens of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The absence of excavations, however, limits the precise knowledge of its history and its original occupants.

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