Dolmen de les Morelles

The Dolmen de les Morelles is a megalithic burial site in Espolla, in the province of Gérone in Catalogne, Spain. It lies about 3 km north of the town centre at an altitude of 345 m. The monument belongs to the Espolla dolmens, a group of 12 dolmens and 1 menhir, and has been listed in the Inventaire du patrimoine architectural de Catalogne since 2013.

Built from slate slabs on a steep slope, the dolmen has a restricted burial chamber with a trapezoidal shape. Its entrance opens onto a short passage formed by upright stones and dry-stone masonry. The chamber was partly cut into the ground and partly set within a circular artificial tumulus, reinforced on the eastern side. A surrounding row of lying blocks, or peristyle, has disappeared. The entrance is oriented at 170° ± 5°.

The orientation of the entrance supports a date between 3200-2700 av. J.-C., while a broader typological estimate places the monument between 4000 BCE to 3000 BCE. The site was identified in 1970 by Espolla pastor Andreu Mach i Pujol, who informed Joan Calverol i Puquet and Joan Bosch i Abella. Archaeological excavations took place in 1971, 1980 and 1988, and the dolmen was excavated in 1980 by Josep Tarrús i Galter, Júlia Chintilla i Sánchez, Josep Castells i Camp and Rosó Vilardell i Pasqual.

A 4 cm bone found during the 1971 excavation may have come from a human, but its origin remains uncertain. Consolidation and restoration work began in 1997. The collapsed roof was returned to its original position. The surviving structure and excavation history make the dolmen one of the Espolla group’s documented megalithic monuments, although no legend or further ancient tradition is provided.

Dolmen de les Morelles is a dolmen in Espolla, Spain. A typological estimate: 4000 BCE to 3000 BCE. Elevation: 345 m. No English Wikipedia article exists for it; the full text below is the French article "Dolmen des Morelles", shown in the original language.