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Origin and history

The isolated menhir from Colobrières is one of 154 menhirs scattered on the limestone plateau of the Cham des Bondons, located southwest of Mount Lozère, in the Cevennes National Park. This plateau, about ten square kilometres, houses the second largest concentration of megaliths in Europe after Carnac. Menhirs, carved in granite despite local limestone soil, show complex transport from identified quarries, such as Fontpadelle, where ready-to-use slabs remain visible.

The menhir from Colobrières, 4.10 meters high and weighing about 7 tons, stands out for its rectangular base and rounded top. It was inscribed in historical monuments in 1941, like other menhirs of the plateau. The excavations and surveys conducted between the 1940s and 1990s, notably by Dr. Charles Morel and Gilbert Fages, restored many lying monoliths, revealing their characteristic fusiform shape and sometimes methodical alignment.

The Cham des Bondons, in addition to its megalithic heritage, has geological features such as the puechs (Jurassic controls) and the Malaval cave, explored from the 1950s onwards. These elements, combined with menhirs, illustrate an ancient human occupation and a remarkable technical mastery for the Neolithic era. Menhirs, often associated with tumuli or dolmens, suggest complex funeral and symbolic practices.

The plateau, marked by local legends such as Gargantua, has also served as a career for commemorative steles, such as the one dedicated to the Dupeyron sisters, teachers who died in 1941. Today, the site, protected and studied, offers an exceptional testimony of Neolithic societies in Occitanie, mixing natural and historical heritage.

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