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  2. Patrimoine
  3. Nouvelle-Aquitaine
  4. Charente-Maritime
  5. 17170 Courçon

  6. Field Tumulus Courçon Shawls

 Field Tumulus Courçon Shawls en Charente-Maritime

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine Celtique
Tumulus
Charente-Maritime

Field Tumulus Courçon Shawls

    Le Bourg
    17170 Courçon
Tumulus de champ Châlons à Courçon
Tumulus de champ Châlons à Courçon
Tumulus de champ Châlons à Courçon
Crédit photo : Tux-Man - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Âge du Fer
Antiquité
Haut Moyen Âge
Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
100 av. J.-C.
0
…
1900
2000
entre 4336 et 4005 av. J.-C.
First use of tumulus B
entre 3973 et 3787 av. J.-C.
Construction of chamber B2
entre 3709 et 3540 av. J.-C.
Use of chamber A
entre 1737 et 1519 av. J.-C.
Reuse at Bronze Age
1979-1982
Discovery of tumuli
6 août 1992
Classification of historical monuments
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Tumulus B and C de Champ-Chalon (Box B 3): classification by order of 6 August 1992

Key figures

Frédéric Bouin - Discovery of the site Identified the tumuli in 1979 and 1982.
Roger Joussaume - Archaeologist, Director of Excavations Directed the excavations of Champ Châlon I (1980-1986).
Robert Cadot - Archaeologist, co-director of excavations Collaborated in tumuli research.

Origin and history

The tumuli of Champ Châlon are a set of seven neolithic funerary monuments (V-IVth millennium B.C.) divided into two 600 m distant necropolises, located near the Benon Forest, in the commune of Benon (Charente-Maritime). These structures, discovered in 1979 and 1982 by Frédéric Bouin, illustrate collective funeral practices and a variety of architecture: some tumuli, such as those in Group I (A, B, C, D, E), have peripheral ditches or corbelled chambers, while others, such as those in Group II (A and B), remain unexcavated. The necropolis of Champ Châlon I, excavated between 1980 and 1986 under the direction of Roger Joussaume and Robert Cadot, revealed human bones, artifacts (lames, pearls, pottery) and traces of prolonged use, with radiocarbon dating placing their occupation between 4336 and 1519 B.C.

The tumuli A, B and C of Champ Châlon I are distinguished by their complex architecture. The trapezoidal tumulus A (15 m long) contained a square burial chamber preceded by a corridor, while the tumulus B, in two phases of construction, contained two quadrangular chambers (B1 and B2) with separate access corridors. The largest (40 m estimated) tumulus C had an internal alveolar structure and peripheral ditches, although partially destroyed prior to excavations. Analysis of bone remains and furniture (arrow frames, bone trimmings or animal tooth trimmings) attest to evolutionary funeral rites, including primary and secondary burials, as well as votive deposits such as a polished dolerite axe discovered near the tumulus C.

Field Châlon II tumuli, unexcavated, are characterized by their elongated shape (32 m and 26 m long) and the presence of lateral ditches, suggesting architectural continuity with Group I. Classified as historical monuments in 1992 for tumuli B and C, these megalithic ensembles offer a rare testimony of the Neolithic societies of the Centre-West of France, marked by a collective organization around funeral practices and an advanced mastery of dry stone construction techniques. Their preservation, despite partial destructions (such as the tumulus D), underscores their heritage importance in understanding the cultural transitions between the Middle Neolithic and Bronze Ages.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum