Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The mixed cemetery of Nogent, composed of a tumulus and a dolmen called Pierre Tournante or Pierre Branlante, is a major archaeological site located in the forest of Marsois. This monument, classified in 1949, dates back to recent Neolithic and Protohistory, revealing traces of collective burials and funeral objects such as flint tools, ceramics and bones. The excavations conducted between 1875 and 1948 identified at least seven individuals buried on the site, as well as artifacts attributed to Campaniform culture.

The dolmen was partially damaged at the beginning of the 20th century, when a logger tried to overturn it to win a bet, moving the 75 cm cover table. Systematic excavations, initiated by Arthur Daguin and Father Bonaventure, revealed rich archaeological furniture, including arrow tips, decorated tesses and a bone button. In 1982, an accidental bulldozer clearing revealed new artifacts, confirming the importance of the site to understand the funeral and cultural practices of the time.

Local folklore attributes to the Pierre Tournante a legend that it would make a complete rotation in a hundred years. This belief, combined with revolutionary narratives evoking executions on stone, illustrates the persistence of myths around megaliths. Ranked a Historic Monument, the site remains a valuable testimony of the prehistoric societies of the Haute-Marne, between funeral rites and territorial occupation.

Archaeological research also highlighted the role of dolmen as a collective burial, with objects dating from the Campaniforme (c. 2500-2000 BC). The roof table, of an imposing dimension (4.30 m x 3.80 m), covers a north-south facing funeral chamber, typical of megalithic constructions. The damage suffered over the centuries, combined with the excavations, has partially restored its history and use.

The location of the site, in the forest of Marsois near Nogent, makes it a key element of the megalithic heritage of Champagne-Ardenne. Its classification in 1949 by the Ministry of National Education allowed its preservation, despite past deteriorations. Today, it attracts the attention of archaeologists and history enthusiasts, offering an overview of funeral traditions and beliefs of neolithic and protohistoric populations.

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