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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The hypogee of the Saint-Léger Fountain, located in Buno-Bonnevaux (Essonne), is a collective burial dating from the recent Neolithic period (between 2487 and 2048 BC). Dipped under a sandstone bench, its almost rectangular burial chamber (3.40 x 3.70 m) was accessible by a narrow corridor. Its walls, lined with local limestone, housed about 40 remains accompanied by objects (haches, arrow tips, pottery), now disappeared. The tomb is associated with the Seine-Oise-Marne culture.

The discovery of the hypogée in 1868 by the farmer Mr. Brizemeure, who partially vitiated it to make it a shelter, led to the loss of most archaeological remains. The first scientific description was published by Louis André in 1885, after a summary examination in 1870. The building, whose entrance was originally hidden by large slabs now broken, was classified as a historic monument in 1976. Some visible developments (such as a chimney pipe) result from its subsequent reuse.

The site is part of a dense megalithic complex: menhirs, other hypogees, petroglyph caves and polishers are scattered within a 2.5 km radius. These monuments illustrate the neolithic occupation of the region, marked by collective funeral practices and sophisticated stonework. Carbon dating 14 and lost funerary furniture (vases, flint tools) suggest an organized community, probably sedentary, linked to the networks of exchange of Seine-Oise-Marne culture.

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