Timeline

Origin and history

The Dolmen Laval, located in Souillac, Occitanie, is a collective grave classified as a historical monument. This type of megalithic structure, characteristic of Neolithic, was generally used to house the deceased of a community or family group. Dolmens were often places of remembrance and worship for local people.

In the Occitan region, as in other parts of France, the dolmens bear witness to the social organization and beliefs of prehistoric societies. These collective funeral monuments reflect a desire to perpetuate the memory of the ancestors, while marking the landscape with lasting signs. Their construction, often collective, suggests community cooperation and emphasis on funeral rites.