Site archéologique du dolmen de Peyre de l'Homme, aux Combarols
MonumentHidden Treasure
Site archéologique du dolmen de Peyre de l'Homme, aux Combarols, located in Durbans (Département 46), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Durbans, Département 46, Occitanie
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.6920, 1.7880
- Mérimée Reference
- PA46000048
On the edge of the Lot department, the Peyre de l'Homme dolmen erects its cyclopean orthostats on a causse plateau. An exceptional megalithic monument, its intact circular cairn defies five millennia of history.
History
On the limestone plateau overlooking the village of Durbans, in the Lot department, the Peyre de l'Homme dolmen - whose evocative name means "Man's Stone" in Occitan - stands out as one of the most striking examples of megalithic architecture in the Quercy region. Listed as a Historic Monument in 2011, this archaeological site owes its reputation to the exceptional scale of its architectural features and their remarkable state of preservation, rare for a monument of this age. What sets Peyre de l'Homme apart from the countless dolmens in the Massif Central is first and foremost the sheer monumentality of its orthostats - the large, vertically-erect slabs that form the walls of the burial chamber. They are much larger than the regional average, giving the whole complex a visual power that is sure to strike the attentive visitor. The ensemble is set within a circular cairn, a mound of carefully arranged dry stones that enveloped and protected the central burial structure. A visit to this site invites a form of archaeological contemplation: while the covering slab has disappeared, leaving the chamber in the open air, the orthostats, the bedside slab and a closing slab remain partially buried beneath the burial mound. This partial immersion in the ground lends the monument an atmosphere of mystery, as if the earth itself jealously guarded the secrets of its builders. The low-angled light of the morning or late afternoon eloquently reveals the textures of the stones and the volumes of the architecture. The natural setting enhances the experience: the windswept plateau of Combarols, covered in scrubland and scrub oak, offers a silent immensity conducive to meditation. Here, far from the main tourist routes, time seems suspended between the Neolithic and the present day. Photographers, archaeology enthusiasts and hikers will find in this discreet site an authenticity that over-frequented monuments can no longer offer.
Architecture
The Peyre de l'Homme dolmen belongs to the type of single-chamber dolmens typical of the megalithic tradition in the southern Massif Central. Its burial chamber is delimited by several orthostats - vertical slabs of local limestone - to which are added a bedside slab closing off the back of the chamber and at least one closing slab on the entrance side. Unfortunately, the covering slab, or table, was destroyed or moved at some undetermined time, leaving the chamber uncovered. What fundamentally distinguishes this monument from its regional counterparts is the singular size of its constituent slabs, which are significantly larger than the average dolmen in the Quercy region. The architectural ensemble is set within a circular cairn, a mass of carefully arranged dry stones that enveloped the chamber and gave it its monumental exterior shape. This cairn, which has been partially preserved, still buries the orthostats and slabs up to mid-height, which explains why they have been well preserved. The stone used is limestone from the plateau, a material that is abundant on the Causses du Quercy and easy to cut into large blocks. The construction logic follows the principles common to all Atlantic and Mediterranean megalithic structures: vertical supports bearing a horizontal covering, the whole protected and consolidated by an artificial mound. The successive alterations to the external envelope bear witness to a long sequence of occupations and transformations. Some of these alterations could be the result of deliberate sealing of the entrance, a common practice in the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age, when collective burials were gradually abandoned in favour of individual burials.
Related Figures
Bâtisseurs néolithiques anonymes des causses du Quercy (vers 3500-2500 av. J.-C.)Communautés chalcolithiques ayant réutilisé le monument (vers 2500-2000 av. J.-C.)Archéologues prospecteurs du Lot (XXe siècle) ayant inventorié le siteDirection Régionale des Affaires Culturelles (DRAC) d'Occitanie, à l'origine de la protection MH de 2011
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Site archéologique du dolmen de Peyre de l'Homme, aux Combarols located?
Site archéologique du dolmen de Peyre de l'Homme, aux Combarols is located in Durbans, Département 46 department, Occitanie region, France.
Is Site archéologique du dolmen de Peyre de l'Homme, aux Combarols open to visitors?
Site archéologique du dolmen de Peyre de l'Homme, aux Combarols is currently closed to visitors.