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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The dolmen de la Vitarelle III is part of a set of four dolmens divided between the municipalities of Muret-le-Château (n°1-3) and Salles-la-Source (n°4), in the department of Aveyron, in the Occitanie region. This monument, dated from the recent Neolithic (end of the Neolithic or Chalcolithic, about the third millennium B.C.E.), is distinguished by its structure from long tumulus to decentrated dolmen. It is 25 meters long, 9 meters wide and retains a height of 1.10 meters despite erosion. Its cella, a length of 3.70 meters, served as a sepulchral chamber, partially filled today with a pebbles.

The site was officially recognized for its heritage significance with a listing as historic monuments on 25 November 1998, specifically covering Parcel H 191. This dolmen illustrates the funeral and architectural practices of the Neolithic communities of the region, marked by the construction of collective megalithic monuments. These structures served both as burial sites and as territorial markers for sedentary populations of the time engaged in agriculture and livestock.

Unlike other dolmens in the region, Vitarella III is characterized by its elongated tumulus, a form less common than single dolmens or covered aisles. The excavations and studies carried out on this type of monument often reveal traces of prolonged use, with successive funeral deposits and redevelopments over the centuries. However, the available sources do not specify whether significant artifacts or bones have been discovered on this specific site.

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