Megalithic sites of Charente

The Megalithic sites of Charente, France consist mainly of dolmens, while menhirs are rare and few are still standing.

Geographical distribution The north-western quarter of the department (the Ruffécois) has a rich concentration of megalithic monuments. Tumuli and dolmens are often grouped in veritable necropolises (Tusson, Ligné, Fontenille, Luxé, Chenon), and it is well known that almost a third of the monuments recorded in this area were destroyed between the mid-19th and late 20th centuries, mainly as a result of the land consolidation that took place in the 1960s and 1970s. On the other hand, the persistence of large wooded areas has locally contributed to the preservation of several concentrations of burial mounds.

In the west of the department, several remarkable dolmens are located on the left bank of the Charente (Châteaubernard, Cognac, Saint-Même-les-Carrières, la Boucharderie). In the south-west, several megaliths that were once reported have now disappeared, victims of the boom in wine-growing; in the south-east, several dolmens are well preserved (Ronsenac, Édon necropolis); as for the north-east of the department, it concentrates the department's main menhirs.

Characteristics

There are several types of dolmen:

corridor dolmens, the oldest; Angoumoisin-type dolmens, the most numerous; dolmens similar to Anjou dolmens in their monumentality; simple dolmens and chests, the most recent (late 4th and 3rd millennia).

The Angoumois-type dolmen features a quadrangular chamber covered with a monumental slab in its raw state, with a slightly off-center corridor. The walls are made of carefully assembled, bush-hammered orthostats. The corridor is made up of slabs or low dry-stone walls (Les Pérottes, Motte de la Jacquille). But there are also variants with a round or square chamber where the walls are made entirely of small, stacked dry stones, and the roof must have been a corbelled vault or made of perishable materials.

Several dolmens in the Cognaçais region have been considered to be Angevin dolmens due to their characteristics (massive roof slabs, high bush-hammered pillars, rectangular chambers), but none have a portico that is still visible. The simple dolmens in the southeastern part of the department, made of sandstone blocks, reflect the proximity of the neighboring dolmens of the Perigord Causses, with their trapezoidal chambers delimited by just three orthostats.

Some monuments stand out for their originality (dolmen A4 de la Pièce Grande) or unique architectural features (Motte de la Jacquille).

Megalithic art Engraved representations on the walls of dolmens are fairly common, mainly crossbows (Roc dolmen, A and B de la Boixe dolmens), axes (Grosse Pérotte), hooks (Motte de la Garde).

Inventory +NameMunicipalityRemarksCoordinatesIllustrationDolmen of MontvallierAnsac-sur-ViennedestroyedThe Bouguignon tombBalzacdestroyedDolmen of CuchetBarrodestroyedDolmen of GragonneBesséruinedDolmen of the Pierre BlancheBesséNational heritage (1930)Pierres Brunes de ChavenatBoisné-La TuderuinedDolmen of Chez RollandBourg-CharentedestroyedPierre LevadeBoutevilledestroyedPierre Levée of DouvesseBoutevilledestroyedPierre Levée de la CombeBriedestroyedTumulus de la BraconneBrie2 burial mounds1 ruined, 1 destroyedPierres Bleues de la ValladeBrigueuil2 possible menhirs (standing stones)Pierre du sacrificeCellettesanother name: Dolmen A de la BoixeDolmen of the Bois du SoulierCharrasanother name: Dolmen de GrosbotMenhirs of Font PouzatCharras2 menhirs (standing stones)200 m south of the Bois du Soulier dolmenDolmen at Combe des DamesChâteaubernardTumulus of the Pierre FolleChenommetdolmenNational heritage (2012)Dolmen de la GrelaudièreChenondestroyedDolmens de l'EchaletteChenon2 dolmensDolmens de la Pièce GrandeChenon4 dolmensLe Gros ChailLa Chèvreriepolisherpreserved in the Musée de la Société archéologique et historique de la CharenteDolmen of SéchebecCognacNational heritage (1930)Dolmen de la MoulineCombiersdisappearedDolmen of PérissacConfolens and Essedismantled and reusedDolmen de la Pierre-PèseCourcômedestroyedDolmens of MagnezCourcômeanother name: Dolmens de la Garenne de MagnéNational heritage (1930)Dolmen du Gros-CaillouCriteuil-la-Magdeleineanother name: Dolmen du Grand FiefruinedDolmen of the EtangDignacDolmen de la BrandeDiracanother name: Pierre Levade de la BrandeNecropolis of ÉdonÉdonDolmen de la Gélie Dolmen de la Lombertie or Pierre Rouge

Menhir de la Pierre DeboutNational heritage (1989)Dolmen of Pierre BruneEmpurédestroyed around 1912Dolmen du RepaireEssedestroyedDolmen of the Curé's TombEsseruinedMenhir du RepaireEsseanother name: Menhir des BoisseléesDolmen de la ForêtÉtagnacMenhir de la ForêtÉtagnacDolmen known as Gagnère-PratFontenilledestroyed in 1964was located 300 m east of Grosse PérotteDolmen du Roc de la FadeFontenilledestroyed in the mid-19th centuryDolmens des PérottesFontenillePetite Pérotte Grande PérotteNational heritage (1900)Motte de la JacquilleFontenilledolmenNational heritage (1991)Grosse Pierre des DeffendsFontenilledestroyed around 1955Tumulus des BourrigesFouqueure2 dolmensPierre CeinturéeJauldespossible menhirDolmen de la MadeleineLessacNational heritage (1900)Dolmen of Gros-DognonLignéruinedDolmen de Bel AirLuxédestroyedDolmen de la FolatièreLuxéNational heritage (1957)Dolmen du RocLuxédestroyedMaison de la VieilleLuxéNational heritage (1956)Motte de la GardeLuxédolmenNational heritage (1889)Tumulus de la FolatièreLuxéNational heritage (1957)PolissoirMagnac-sur-TouvreDolmen de MontardyMaine-de-Boixedestroyed in 1972Dolmen de la GareManotdestroyedDolmen de MontvallierManotdestroyedDolmen des CabournesManotruinedDolmen and menhir at La CouchadieManotruined dolmen vanished menhirMégalithe de la GoutrieManotdestroyed around 1945Pierre OiseauManotundetermined megalithdestroyed around 1945Pierre PaizeManotdolmendestroyedPierres de Saint-MartialManotundetermined megalithsDolmen de TauzatMassignacNational heritage (1929)Gros CaillouMontméracdolmendestroyedGrosse Borne du PerretOradourpossible menhirRoc des SorciersPleuvillemenhirDolmen des FontiauxRaixdestroyed in 1962Dolmen de Chez VinaigreRonsenacanother name: Dolmen de BernacDolmen of BoucharderieRoullet-Saint-EstèpheNational heritage (1927)Dolmen of Garde-ÉpéeSaint-BriceNational heritage (1926)Menhir of Champ du RocSaint-Christopherelocated Menhirs of Grosse Pierre de la FourgeodieSaint-Christophe3 menhirsDolmen of Bois des ChaillesSaint-Ciers-sur-Bonnieureanother name: Dolmen des GrougesNational heritage (1912)Dolmen of Pierre Levée de Saint-FortSaint-Fort-sur-le-NéNational heritage (1983)Dolmen of PierrefiteSaint-GeorgesDolmen of RochepineSaint-Germain-de-MontbronDolmen of PerradetSaint-GrouxdestroyedDolmens of BrunieSaint-Maurice-des-Lions2 dolmensruinedDolmen des CouradesSaint-Même-les-Carrièresanother name: Pierre LevéeNational heritage (1926)Pierre levée de la FolatièreSalles-de-VillefagnandolmenruinedDolmen de LageSaulgondDolmen de GrapilletSoyauxdestroyed in 1836Dolmen de la Pierre MartineSurisdestroyed in the 19th centuryTumuli of TussonTusson4 tumuli: Le Vieux Breuil

La Justice

Le Gros Dognon

Le Petit DognonNational heritage (1962) National heritage (1960)

National heritage (1960)Necropolis of La BoixeVervantNational heritage (1889) National heritage (1971)

National heritage (1991)Dolmens of Plantier de MontieretVillefagnan2 dolmensdestroyedDolmen of Rocs de LaineVoulgézac

References

Bibliography