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Origin and history

The Dolmens du Masneuf are two megalithic monuments located at La Chapelle-Saint-Martial, in the Creuse department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Data from Neolithic, these funeral structures illustrate the architectural and ritual practices of local prehistoric societies. They are about 200 metres away from each other, with distinct features: Dolmen No.1, partially ruined, shows traces of exploitation by carriagemen and served as a contemporary shelter, while Dolmen No.2 retains three orthostats delimiting a funeral chamber.

Archaeological excavations revealed significant artifacts, such as flint fragments, arrow tips fragments, and thick pottery coats in red, black, and grey colours for dolmen #1. Dolmen #2 delivered flints of flint and quartz, as well as ceramic teasses. These discoveries attest to the funeral and ritual use of the sites. The dolmens were listed as historic monuments in 1988, after a search to preserve these remains.

Dolmen No. 1, although degraded, has a technical peculiarity: its pillars have been set in cracks in the rocky basement, revealing an ingenious adaptation of neolithic builders to the terrain. The better preserved dolmen n°2, offers a funeral chamber of 1.50 m long by 1.30 m wide, framed by orthostats of about 1.50 m high. These architectural and archaeological elements make them valuable witnesses to the regional megalithic culture.

The location of the dolmens, reported with average accuracy (level 5/10), is indicated at approximately 5103 Le Masneuf, 23250 La Chapelle-Saint-Martial. Their protection as historical monuments underlines their heritage importance, while integrating these sites into the wider network of the megaliths of Creuse and Limousin. Bibliographic references, such as Dominique Vuaillat's work published in Gallia Préhistoire (1985), complement the knowledge of these buildings.

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