dolmens de Saint-Martin-du-Larzac

Dolmen no. 1 had, in 1927, a tumulus 12 to 13 m in diameter enclosing a slightly trapezoidal chamber oriented east/west. The chamber was bounded by three large limestone slabs: on the south side one 3.20 m long, 2.26 m high and 0.37 m thick; on the north side one 3.70 m long, 1.50 m high and 0.25 m thick; and on the east side one 1.30 m long, 1.70 m high and 0.20 m thick. On the west side only a slab fragment 0.60 m wide and 0.20 m thick remained. The gaps between the slabs were carefully blocked with walls of flat stones. A large fragment, 2.10 m wide, of a probable capstone had been thrown onto the south side of the tumulus.

Dolmen no. 2 has a rectangular chamber bounded by two orthostates, now tilted towards the north. Both slabs are set into grooves cut in the bedrock and wedged with lauzes (stone slabs). They are extended for 1 m by dry-stone walls forming a kind of passage that does not open to the outside. Many slabs visible around the chamber may come from the spalling of the uprights. A fragment of the capstone has tipped over outside the chamber and is visible on the north side. The subcircular tumulus extends about 2 m in radius around the chamber and is built of small slabs and limestone blocks; it does not appear to have had a facing wall.

Dolmen no. 3 has a chamber in the form of an irregular rectangle, 6 m long and 0.80 to 1.25 m wide, oriented east-west. It is bounded by five orthostates: a large slab on the north, 2.95 m long, two contiguous uprights on the south, and two adjoining slabs forming the head. The entrance was closed by three slabs. The dolmen still has its capstone, which is 3.15 m long, 2 m wide and 0.20 m thick. Inclined megalithic blocks buttress the sides of the chamber. The paved floor rests on a joint in the rock (diaclase) that runs the full length of the chamber.

The chamber is enclosed in an oval platform with an apse at the head end and a straight facade at the entrance end. A facing wall no higher than 0.30 m, made of large slabs several of which exceed 1 m in length, surrounds it. The core of the tumulus is made of small blocks and rubble. The whole is bounded by large slabs laid flat, or by small slabs stacked in three to four courses, delimiting a square tumulus 11 m on each side.

Dolmen no. 1 was mentioned in 1898 by Émile Cartailhac under the name dolmen de la Salvage. In 1927 Louis Balsan drew a summary plan. In 1937-1938 the dolmen was looted by a treasure hunter, who collected a large assemblage of ornaments and arrowheads from the chamber. In 1939 Balsan photographed the dolmen and collected a small amount of material from the excavation spoil. In 1952 G. Costantini carried out a new excavation, but by then the dolmen had been almost entirely destroyed by its owner.

Dolmen no. 2 was excavated in the 1930s by L. and O. Geniès and was the subject of a further rescue excavation in 1990.