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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Dolmen du Chausse, also known as the Dolmen de Mons, is a megalithic monument located in the commune of Saint-Georges, in the department of Cantal (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes). Dating from Neolithic, it consists of two lateral orthostats, a bedside slab and a basalt cover table, from the neighbouring village of Mons. The whole is surrounded by walls and accessible by a dry stone corridor. Originally, the tumulus did not fully cover the structure, but subsequent agricultural work turned it into a pile of hair, paradoxically contributing to its preservation.

Found in 1877 by Jean-Baptiste Delort, the site revealed collective burials: at least seven individuals were buried there in the Neolithic before the chamber was sealed by a wall. At the age of bronze, two incinerated bodies were laid under blocks of the tumulus, without altering the dolmen. Later, at the Iron Age, a tumuli necropolis developed around the site, forming a funerary complex known as the Chausse tumuli necropolis.

The archaeological furniture discovered includes blades and frames of flint arrows, 775 bronze rings, pearls, a bracelet and ceramic teasses, today preserved at the Museum of Saint-Flour. These objects bear witness to the funeral and artisanal practices of the neolithic and protohistoric populations of the region. The dolmen was classified as historic monuments on 22 May 1980, thus recognizing its heritage importance.

The dolmen structure, though modest, illustrates the megalithic construction techniques of the time. The basalt slabs, transported from Mons to a kilometre away, underline the collective effort necessary for its construction. The site, now protected, offers a rare testimony of funeral rituals and social organization of the agricultural communities of the Neolithic in Auvergne.

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