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Origin and history

The Dolmen du Plo de Laganthe, also named dolmen de la Gante or Las Tres Pèiras, is a megalithic monument located in Labastide-Rouairoux, in the Tarn. This simple dolmen consists of four stones: a covering slab of 4.8 x 3.2 meters (21 tons) supported by two orthostats of 4.1 and 4.5 meters, while a fourth stone lies on the ground. Its modest architecture contrasts with the many menhirs of the region, typical of the granite area of southern Tarn, where dolmens remain rare (less than 10 recorded).

According to a local legend, the inhabitants of the Soulié, wishing to build a church, would have implored the Virgin to transport three stones from Peyremaux. Disappointed by their lack of piety — those who prefer to fight and get drunk — she would have abandoned the stones on the spot, giving birth to the dolmen. This folk anecdote illustrates the symbolic importance of the site, linked to the beliefs and popular narratives of the region.

Ranked a historic monument since 1889, the dolmen is located at the edge of the departments of Tarn and Herault, on the edge of the D64, in the Haut-Languedoc Regional Natural Park. Its environment is exceptionally rich in megaliths: four menhirs (la Crosse, Faydas, Briol, Rocadel) are within a radius of 4 km. This concentration reflects the neolithic occupation of the area, where communities erected these structures for funeral or ritual purposes.

The Dolmen du Plo de Laganthe testifies to the architectural and spiritual practices of Neolithic in southwestern France. Its early ranking underlines its heritage importance, while its strategic location, between granite and limestone areas, makes it a marker of regional differences in the implantation of megaliths. The dolmens, more frequent north of Tarn (calcareous zone), have few menhirs, unlike the south where they dominate.

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